Walker puts to pasture license plate change

Wisconsin State Farmer

MADISON (AP) - Gov. Scott Walker made it clear there would be no change to the Wisconsin plate.

In an interview Tuesday with Pam Jahnke, of the WI Farm Report Radio Network, Walker said that there was "no way" Wisconsin would change the license plate.

"The plates represent a nice cross-section from farming to agriculture to tourism to the great north," Walker said. "The plates are just fine the way they are. We are proud to be America's Dairyland."

Walker added that "we are proud to be a great attraction for manufacturing," saying the two are not inconsistent.

Kurt Bauer, executive director of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce suggested it was time to consider removing America's Dairyland in favor of something more contemporary.

Gov. Scott Walker said the Wisconsin license plates are fine the way they are.

State Rep. Scott Allen proposed a bill that would redesign the state license plate, calling for high school students to submit new designs and slogans.

"A good part of our emerging food processing business is both," Walker said. "It's a combination of both, agriculture and manufacturing come together."

Walker made it clear the bill was going nowhere.

"We are not going to change our plates," he said. "There are many different industries, but our bread and butter, literally and figuratively, is agriculture and manufacturing together."

Allen did not return calls from the Wisconsin State Farmer on Wednesday.