INDIANAPOLIS -
Dozens of specialty license plates you see on the road every day could soon disappear.
A House committee amended a bill that proposes getting rid of 10 new specialty plates that were already approved by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to go on sale this year.
One of those new specialty plates belongs to the Indiana Patriot Guard. The non-profit group raises money to send care packages to soldiers serving overseas, among other activities that support America troops.
"It's disappointing. It's very disappointing," said Angel Badillo with the Patriot Guard.
Badillo just got his Patriot Guard license plates three weeks ago.
"Patriot Guard people, they're upset about it, yes. They're not going to be happy with it," said Badillo.
Badillo says in just a month and a half, the Patriot Guard has already sold more than 200 plates and was on schedule to meet the 500 plate quota for the year. The amendments to the bill, though, now require groups with specialty to plates to sell 1,000 plates in a year.
"We're going to be eliminated, just at the snap of a finger," Badillo said. "I feel like we don't even have a chance."
Non-profits receive $25 from the sale of every $40 specialty plate. The bill would also shift specialty plate approval from the BMV to lawmakers.
"After you've submitted all this information, the state legislature gets to vote whether or not you get your license plate. So it's a popularity contest instead of being these requirements," said Mary Byrne with the Indiana Youth Group.
The Indiana Youth Group, which supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender teens, also just approved for a specialty license plate and now are losing it.
"We probably spent over 200 hours on this application. There's a process and a lot of work went into this," she added. "To go retro and take things away from someone, organizations that have already been approved, is just not fair."
Conservatives have said the group should not have its own plate because of its work with gay youth.
"I don't want to be paranoid, but I think this is an answer for that," said Byrne, speaking of the bill. "There's a constituency that these lawmakers have that may not approve of us getting a license plate and this was the way to do it."
The Patriot Guard and Indiana Youth Group aren't the only organizations that stand to lose their specialty plates. Organizations that sold fewer than a thousand plates last year would also be eliminated.
Groups like Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and the NRA are three of the 12 listed. Some groups, like Autism Awareness and American Legion, are in danger of losing their specialty plates if sales on them don't improve.
In all, 29 groups could be affected.
Starting in 2013, all groups with specialty plates will need to reapply to the legislature for approval. Significant amounts of information will have to be provided - tax statements, statements of internal controls and financial safeguards.
Older specialty plates that are being used by fewer than a thousand drivers are also in jeopardy of being cut, as well.
Read more about the bill and affected plates
