Some groups bemoan loss of specialty license plate revenue

Specialty license plates, which are sold as fundraising resources for nonprofit groups, reached the end of its extension last Wednesday to try to sell enough to continue the funding source.

A bill passed last legislative session mandates that if groups do not sell 400 or more plates in three years, the plates will be revoked. Previously Motor Vehicle Division of the State Department of Justice had the option to revoke plates with fewer than 400 sales but it was not mandatory.

After groups were informed that their plates would be revoked in January, the deadline was extended to July to allow groups time to sell more plates to try to reach the 400-level.

The law affected 85 groups around the state including Havre's St. Jude Thaddeus School, Havre Wrestling Club and Friends of Beaver Creek Park.

St. Jude Thaddeus School sold 35 license plates as of July 6.

Principal Mike Haugen said the school's plates will be discontinued.

The biggest effect of the plates is the sense of community, he said, adding that it was a way many of the parishioners supported the school. 

Havre Wrestling Club sold 334 license plates as of July 6.

Havre Wrestling Club President Bob Mantle, husband of Havre Daily News Publisher Stacy Mantle, said the license plates brought quite a bit of money to the organization.

The money was used for travel expenses to take the athletes to tournaments, he said.

He said it's sad that the plates are being discontinued.

"It was money well-used to help kids develop," he added. 

In going forward, he said, he isn't sure how the organization will make up the lost revenue, though it does put on other fundraisers throughout the year.

"The plates are definitely our number three fundraiser or maybe it's higher than that," Mantle said.

As of July 6, Beaver Creek Park also sold 217 license plates.

Friends of Beaver Creek Park Secretary Lesley Zellmer said the plates brought in very significant revenue to the organization since they started selling.

"It is the primary source of revenue for the organization," she said. "The license plate sales and renewals have generated just shy of $20,000 for our organization."

The money was used to support Beaver Creek Park improvements such as the addition of fire rings at existing campsites, she said.

She said people at the organization are discouraged and disappointed about the discontinuation. 

At this time, she said, they are discussing the other types of fundraisers that they could do, but nothing has been decided.

"The Friends of Beaver Creek Park is a volunteer-run organization," Zellmer said. "In order for it to grow and be even more successful, we need more involvement from the community."

State Sen. Mary Cohenour, D-East Helena, sponsored the bill last session requiring the state to cancel specialty plates that had not been purchased by at least 400 people.

Cohenour said the law had always required the organization to sign a document stating it would sell at least 400 plates within three years and maintain that number. Her bill did not change that, she said.

The text of her bill included changing the the wording of "The department may, in its discretion, revoke its previous approval" of specialty plates to "The department shall revoke its previous approval" of specialty plates

Motor Vehicle Division Public Information Officer Betsy Kirkeby said the Motor Vehicle Division has canceled plates in the past.

  She said in Aug. 2019, MVD revoked 10 sponsor plates for not meeting the 400-plate annual requirement.

  In going forward with Senate Bill 353, she said, the sponsor organizations have been notified that their plates have been revoked and are no longer available for purchase or renewal

"No further revenue will be generated" she said.