Florida officials to keep license plate services public

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says it won't try to privatize its license tag services.

Tax collectors, who distribute state tags, and two manufacturing groups had lobbied election officials and filed legal action against the department to block the changes.

Highway Safety executive director Julie Jones on Friday told the Tampa Bay Times (http://bit.ly/SUrcfg ) that the department had wanted to save money by paying private companies $31.4 million over two years to make tags and distribute mail and online orders.

Jones says she abandoned the idea under pressure from the tax collectors, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater.

The state still plans to redesign its license plates. Residents can vote on four proposed designs at Vote4FloridaTag.com.