Idea for AIDS Benefit Vanity Plate Debated

A proposal to create a vanity license plate to raise money for AIDS research has provoked a debate between a San Francisco supervisor and a state senator.

San Francisco Supervisor Gavin Newsom said he plans to introduce a resolution in support of the idea Monday.

But the proposal is being criticized by state Sen. Quentin L. Kopp (I-San Francisco), head of the Senate’s transportation committee, which has put a lid on new “special interest” plates.

The idea came from Jason Hinson, 24, a gay activist and former political intern for both Assemblyman Lou Papan (D-Millbrae) and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer. Hinson said he got the idea for a special license plate to raise money for AIDS while driving around town.

He said he saw vanity plates for everything from Yosemite National Park to children’s programs.

“I thought, ‘That’s a big chunk of change,’ ” said Hinson, who has close friends who have AIDS. “I was surprised that an AIDS plate hadn’t been done.”

Hinson brought the proposal to state Sen. John Burton (D-San Francisco), who decided that it should be introduced first to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Eventually, the proposal will be introduced to the state Assembly.

But Kopp said three government agencies have found that the proliferation of the special plates has been overwhelming and not in the best interest of California drivers or law enforcement. The transportation committee has put a halt to more plates, and Kopp said he does not intend to make an exception for this idea.

Nevertheless, Newsom--who’s known Kopp for many years--said he still hopes to convince him that the plate meets all California Vehicle Code requirements and should be allowed for a cause that affects so many Californians.

Because the plates cost $250,000 to produce, the vehicle code now requires that there be orders for at least 5,000 plates before they hit the road.

The most popular is the Yosemite Foundation license plate, ordered by 22,000 Californians, which has raised more than $400,000 for the park.