Give the People What They Want...

Blackout Plates: 

Gov. Tim Walz is recommending authorization of what are known as blackout plates — license plates with a dark or black background and white lettering... 

Colorado, Iowa and Mississippi are among the states with blackout plates, and they’re a popular choice for drivers there. Iowa issued nearly a half-million of them in the first three years they were available.

In Iowa, the transportation department said feedback it got from vehicle owners was that the simplicity of the plates made them a hot item. The Des Moines Register reported that they were created after drivers began making ad hoc versions to customize a specialized university plate; law enforcement made some traffic stops after growing concerned about the coverings and some motorists turned to lawmakers for help.

Minnesota officials expect demand of 120,000 to 160,000 per year in the first few years. That would make the blackout plates the most popular specialty option after collector plates and the suite of critical habitat plates.