NASCAR License Plates? SB334

Virginia Senate Bill #334 was a harmless "fun" bill that is, nevertheless, about to be shelved for reconsideration next year. Full text:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+ful+SB334

I like this one. Although nobody's claiming that it's really vital, this is a self-funding proposal to allow NASCAR fans to commission special license plates that would fund charities supported by the management of the Bristol Motor Speedway. This bill is unlikely to do much harm or cost much money. At worst, it would be ignored by the public.

For those who've wondered what the Bristol Motor Speedway is used for during the fifty weeks of the year when it does not host a major NASCAR race...well, very often, it's used as a large arena for staging large-scale fundraisers. I've never personally donated money to any cause in order to drive through the "Speedway In Lights," which is advertised through most of the winter, but many people do. However, when Virginians collected donations for survivors of 2010's Nashville Flood (and similar disasters), we loaded them into a semi-trailer at the Speedway. Two weeks from now, when residents of Bristol and Kingsport get their own chance at free dental care, cancer screening, and prescriptions for glasses at their very own Remote Area Medical Clinic, they'll be flocking to the Speedway. And so on.

Though NASCAR used to be perceived as a sort of minor nuisance on which a few redneck-types wasted their money, it's grown into a million-dollar business that generates huge amounts of revenue.  I see no reason why the House should delay authorizing B.M.S. to collect funds on behalf of these charities this year.