FRANKFORT — Sen. Tom Buford heard the jokes after he agreed to sponsor legislation to create a license plate to promote spaying and neutering of pets.

        “I haven't heard anybody opposing it,” Sen. Buford said. “Some folks thought we ought to add legislators to the spaying and neutering. That was about it.”

        His bill to create the new plate was, well, neutered during the 2001 General Assembly when, after passage by the Senate, it was overhauled in the House to pertain to state funding for schools. Sen. Buford, R-Nicholasville, said he will sponsor the bill again in 2002.

        While such legislative hijacking is not uncommon, special license plate bills are rarely subjected to such treatment. Since their slow beginning in 1970, when the General Assembly agreed to create a plate to honor disabled veterans, specialty plates have multiplied.

        Counting the basic one with outline of Kentucky under a blue sky, at least 40 different models of passenger vehicle license plates have been authorized by the Legislature, and there are several subgroups within that total, such as plates for each of the eight state universities. Five more were added in 2000.

        “You name it, it's out there,” said Sen. Buford.

        The disabled veterans plate was created to give a financial break to those who are eligible to get them — the plates are free of the $15 standard registration fee — as well as recognize recipients for their service.

        Some plates, by their very nature, are much more special than others. In 2000, there were only three holders of license plates for winners of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for heroism in battle.

        Only four of Kentucky's eight members of Congress have taken advantage of a special license plate of their own. Perhaps it is because representatives and sen ators have to pay $25 extra for the privilege. And only 70 of the 138 members of the General Assembly have the special license plates they created for themselves.

        In more recent years, special plates have been seized upon as ways to recognize different public service groups but also interest groups, such as the Fraternal Order of Police.

        And special interest groupshave managed to persuade the Legislature to give them special plates to raise money.

        The state's universities had their plates authorized in 1988. With each plate sold, the namesake of the plate gets $10 for its scholarship fund.

        The nature plates, which feature a warbler, cardinal or bobcat, have been the most successful fund-raiser. Since 1995, the plate has raised more than $2.5 million for the Heritage Land Fund Board, which buys property for nature preserves.

        Selling the Legislature on a special plate, however, has been easier than selling the plates themselves in some instances. Because of the costs, the Legislature began setting a minimum number of plates that must be ordered before the Transportation Cabinet would create them, usually 900.

        And if not enough people ordered the special plates, their authorization would expire. Seven plates that have been authorized will not be created because not enough people ordered them as of the deadline this past Saturday, Sept. 1. The list includes those for the YMCA, Ducks Unlimited, youth soccer, the U.S. Olympic Committee and labor unions.

        The plethora of plates can prompt problems for some law enforcement officers, who might not be familiar with the latest styles.

        “Sometimes, the officer has to take a second look to recognize which plate it is,” said Kentucky State Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Payne.

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