RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia residents might be seeing some new license plates on the road following Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed two bills that will introduce new special license plates.
The first bill — Senate Bill 753 — authorizes the issuance of license plates that will commemorate the Richmon Planet newspaper.
This new license plate has been in the works since early last year.
Reginald Carter is the man behind the idea, hoping to bring attention to the newspaper’s legacy and honor Black History.
In 1882, 13 formerly enslaved men formed the Richmond Planet. John Mitchell Jr. became the editor, while only in his 20’s, and fearlessly reported lynchings and injustices against the Black community.
The bill was backed by Senator Joe Morrissey, Senator Jennifer McClellan and Delegate Jeff Bourne.
With a new design change, the new plate features a flexed bicep and the words ‘dream for purpose’ and ‘Black is 365.’
The second bill — Senate Bill 212 — authorizes the issuance of special license plates with a design that incorporates the emblem of the United States Navy to active members and certain veterans of the United States Navy.
The bill provides that un-remarried surviving spouses of such service members may also be issued such special license plates.
The bill creates the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Fund to utilize funds from the license plate fees to support the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society in Virginia.
The deadline for preordering the Navy plate is April 15 and can be done so here.
The laws will be enacted on July 1, when the DMV will process all preorders.
