SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 672          WHEREAS, The year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the   first license plate issued by the State of Texas; and          WHEREAS, Introduced in 1917, state-issued license plates   were originally made of sheet iron and featured embossed numbers   painted white on a dark blue background, with the abbreviation   "TEX" on the right-hand side; before that time, Texans were   responsible for obtaining their own license plates, which could   be either homemade or purchased from such places as saddle and   blacksmith shops; and          WHEREAS, The state prison system began manufacturing   license plates in 1935, and the Texas Department of Criminal   Justice estimates that by 2016, inmates had created some 650   million plates; in 1965, the Texas Highway Department, now   known as the Texas Department of Transportation, started   offering personalized vanity plates to the public for an   additional fee; and          WHEREAS, As technology advanced through the decades, so   did the manufacture of Texas license plates; the Texas Department   of Transportation began producing digitally printed,   vinyl-covered aluminum plates in 2009, and three years later, the   Texas Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled the current   general-issue plate, which utilizes black type on a white   background and holographic security features; the Texas   Department of Motor Vehicles now offers 420 plate designs in   addition to the general scheme, including many that honor   military veterans; and          WHEREAS, Over the past century, as the automobile industry   has evolved to become a vital sector of the United States economy   and a dominant influence on both American society and the   national landscape, vehicle license plates have become a   ubiquitous, critical element of American life; their sale   generates revenue for a variety of state programs, and their role   as identifying markers provides essential aid to law enforcement   officers in the performance of their work; incidental to their   primary function, the plates now have a hold on the popular   consciousness and have become collector's items, a means of   personal expression, and even decorative features, notably in   countless roadside diners; and          WHEREAS, A humble, unobtrusive object, the license plate   serves a number of purposes, from the essential to the whimsical,   and it is indeed fitting that this milestone anniversary be   recognized; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th   Legislature, hereby commemorate the centennial of the first   state-issued license plate in the Lone Star State.   Nichols                 ________________________________          President of the Senate               I hereby certify that the     above Resolution was adopted by     the Senate on April 25, 2017.                 ________________________________          Secretary of the Senate                 ________________________________           Member, Texas Senate