The Senate has barely, on an 18-15 vote, passed HB 16, to create a specialty license plate to benefit the Friends of the NRA. “We have a plethora of them. Half the time they go away because they never get enough support,” Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise, told the Senate. “In other states we’ve seen them cause some pretty deep embarrassment for some of the causes that come forward.” He said he’s against all specialty license plates.

Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, said, “While I’m a supporter of 2^nd Amendment rights and I believe the work that the Friends of the NRA is doing as a foundation is good work, I don’t believe it’s an appropriate role for the state to act as a fundraising agent for a private nonprofit.”

Sen. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, argued that specialty plates raise “voluntary” contributions for the state highway fund, along with benefiting the organizations that sponsor them. Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, the bill’s Senate sponsor, said, “There was a license plate that the NRA had in the past and it was not successful, and it’s off the books. But this is the NRA Foundation. … I think this is a good license plate, one that I hope will continue.”

The House earlier passed the bill on a 61-8 vote; it now goes to Gov. Butch Otter.