BREAKING: Production of new Nebraska license plate has been stopped

Posted By: Channel 8 Eyewitness News

8@klkntv.com

LINCOLN – Today, the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced an adjustment to the new standard license plate, which will be issued starting in 2017.  

The decision follows information that the artist who submitted the image of The Sower used on the new standard license plate had utilized an element of a different sower.  The identity of the artist was previously unknown.  

“Given that we know with certainty that the image incorporated an element of a different sower, production has been stopped on the new license plate,” said DMV Director Rhonda Lahm.  “The DMV will work to substitute a more accurate image of The Sower, so that production can resume in the near future.  The DMV anticipates no additional costs as a result of this change.”

The DMV plans to work with the Office of the Capitol Commission to ensure that the new image of The Sower is accurate.

“The Governor appreciates the designer stepping forward to explain the sources he used to develop this submission,” said the Governor’s Public Relations Director Taylor Gage.  “It is important The Sower on the plate accurately represents the sculpture sitting on top of the State Capitol.”

Last week, the DMV released the new standard license plate design which incorporated an image of The Sower.

Posted By: Veronica Ortega

vortega@klkntv.com

Ever since the design for the new Nebraska license plate was announced it has caused a lot of controversy. There’s even a petition that’s started.

Some say it looks like the sower is bringing attention to certain parts of his body. Even late night TV has made fun of it, and one state senator is hoping to do something about it.

"I received a great deal of emails and phone calls regarding the current sower on the license plate, and a lot of people weren’t happy with it and thought it might be a little lewd," Sen. Burke Harr said.

Omaha Senator Burke Harr added an amendment to an existing bill that would extend the current design for another year.

People also say the colors of the new design share the same yellow and blue of the University of Michigan, and it has something in common with Michigan State University, the sower depicted on a bell tower of its campus. They say it looks a lot like the one that sits on top of the State Capitol building in Lincoln.

According to Governor Ricketts it’s too late to change the design,

"The license plates are already being produced and the reason, again, for the timing of this is that we have to produce five million of these before January of next year," Gov. Pete Ricketts said.

Both sower’s were created by the same sculptor, Lee Lawrie. Michigan State’s went up in 1929 and Nebraska’s one year later.

However, there are some distinct difference like the headdress, but the most telling is the way the sower’s hand is holding the pouch. If you look at the sower on the new Nebraska license plate, the way it’s gripping the pouch, more closely resembles the Michigan State sower.

It turns out the man who designed the picture admits to using elements from the Michigan State sower when he submitted it in 2002 for the 2005 plate design contest.

"We found $300,000 to send out a yellow slip telling us what our tax rebates were and I would hope we would find money to stop, and to make a license that we all can be proud of," Sen.Burke Harr said.