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Transportation committee recommends Gold Star family license plate after veteran and family testimony
Summary
The committee recommended HB 1078 (Gold Star family/father license plates) after veterans and grieving family members urged equal recognition for fathers and other family members; committee executive session vote was unanimous 16‑0 to recommend passage.
Representative Arnold Davis introduced HB 1078 on behalf of Representative Michael Murphy, asking the committee to extend Gold Star recognition beyond mothers to fathers and other immediate family members. Sponsors and supporters framed the bill as a modest, symbolic way to honor families who have lost loved ones in military service.
Multiple witnesses gave personal testimony. Leon Ryo, a Marine Corps veteran, described the long‑term support his unit has given Gold Star families. Staff Sergeant Tanner Groan’s family (Erica Grown and Steve Grown) delivered emotional testimony about losing their son and said the father and daughter should have the option to display Gold Star recognition as family members. Representative Lori Kors and other lawmakers urged parity, noting the federal Gold Star Fathers Act and the practice in other states.
The DMV administrator earlier in the session said the division could implement additional plate types with the right language and that prior fiscal hurdles have decreased under new plate production technology. In executive session the committee voted 16‑0 in favor of an ought‑to‑pass recommendation for HB 1078.
What’s next: The bill was placed on the committee’s recommended list (roll‑call recorded in the executive session). If the Finance Committee needs to review fiscal impacts for new plate production, the sponsor and DMV expect minor costs relative to the symbolic value described by witnesses.
