(TRENTON) – Legislation Assemblywoman Cleopatra G. Tucker sponsored to authorize special license plates honoring Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. was signed into law on Friday.
The new law (A-1993) permits the Motor Vehicle Commission to issue Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) license plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in New Jersey. The design of the plates will be chosen by the MVC chief administrator in cooperation with the AKA national president.
“In addition to their pervasive poise and sheer brilliance, New Jersey’s AKA members will soon have yet another way to show the world that they belong to this phenomenal organization,” said Tucker (D-Essex).
A $50 fee will apply to the special license plates upon first issuance, with a $10 annual fee applicable thereafter. All monies will be annually appropriated via the MVC to a specialized fund, overseen by the North Atlantic Regional AKA chapter, specifically set up to finance the license plate template.
The law also requires that the AKA contribute $25,000 to defray the startup costs of creating a new license plate template and that the plate design receive 500 applications before the MVC puts it into production.
AKA is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African-American college-educated women, according to the sorority’s web site. Founded in 1908, its 260,000 members hail from chapters in the United States and several countries across the globe.
The new law was approved 77-0 by the Assembly in June and 35-0 by the Senate on December 1.