KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Last week’s announcement of a new license plate design in Kansas was met with plenty of questions and groans.
Those groans were loud enough to reach Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s office.
“I promised to be a bipartisan governor, and I think we can all admit - I succeeded at bringing Kansans across the political aisle together in disliking this new license plate,” Kelly said on a release Tuesday.
Kelly said she has paused the production process of the new design pending a new public input process.
KSHB 41 viewers were among those questioning the design last week, taking umbrage to the color scheme that matched a nearby state’s colors, and a design that appeared very similar to license plates from New York State.
Thoughts on the new design?
— KSHB 41 News (@KSHB41) November 22, 2023
“I’ve heard you loud and clear. Elected officials should be responsive to their constituents, which is why we are adjusting the process so Kansans can provide direct input on our state’s next license plate.”
Tuesday’s announcement said that Kelly’s office would provide more information on license plate options and how the public can participate “soon.” Last week's announcement indicated the new license plates would be ready by spring 2024. It's not clear if that timeline is still valid given the reset announced Tuesday.
Regardless of the design, any new license plates will be seven digits, with a motto or phrase at the bottom of the plate. Any graphics have to be to the right or left of the license plate number and can't be confused with any numbers or letters. Finally, the background can't detract from the ability to read the plate number, with a lighter color for the background and the plate numbers themselves in black.
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