As usual, our esteemed legislature has been very busy this year.  Another new law (registration required) passed this year affects those license-plate frames that most dealers like to put on cars.

About $10,000 worth of brass and chrome license-plate frames will stay in a box and off the stylish backsides of Aston Martins at John Eagle’s dealership in Dallas.

“I’m sending them back,” said a flustered Sonny Morgan, managing partner of the dealership.

Like dozens of area dealers, Mr. Morgan this week learned about a new state law that may render most license-plate frames illegal. Although the law affects anyone whose automobile has frames, lights and film coverings that obscure a license plate, it is hitting car dealerships especially hard.

Many dealerships automatically attach license-plate frames touting their stores to every vehicle they sell, and all of those frames – hundreds of thousands of them in this area alone – may now be deemed illegal by police, said Drew Campbell, president of the New Car Dealers Association of Metropolitan Dallas. The law went into effect on Sept. 1.

The result could be a ticket and fine of up to $200, and some area cities are already “vigorously enforcing” the new law, said Mr. Campbell, who also represents area dealers in Austin.

“If you drive around, about half [of the frames] out on the street are illegal as I interpret the law,” he said. “That includes Texas A&M frames, University of Texas frames, Mothers Against Drunk Driving frames and ‘I’m a Grandpa’ frames.”

Why am I not surprised that certain cities are already “vigourously enforcing” this law?  That $200 fine probably looks like a T-Bone steak to some revenue-hungry police departments.

So why was this law passed?

The bill, written by State Sen. Jon Lindsay and co-sponsored by State Rep. Peggy Hamrick, both Houston Republicans, was intended to assist toll-road authorities in their use of optical scanners to read motorists’ license plates, Mr. Campbell said.

It would seem to me that stopping and seizing the cars of toll-booth runners might make more of a dent.