Not a good time to redesign license plates

Gov. Bob Holden recently vetoed a handful of bills from this year's legislative session, including a House bill that would have established a license-plate advisory committee to redesign Missouri's auto tags. Thanks to the veto, Missouri taxpayers have been spared the estimated $15 million cost of the redesign effort.

Missouri license plates were last redesigned just five years ago. It shouldn't be a priority of state government to go through this costly process again so soon after the most recent one, especially when state government is feeling a financial pinch.

License plates serve a practical purpose. Spending a sizable amount of money to change their looks isn't a fiscally prudent thing to do right now. The governor was correct to veto the measure. Legislators should heed the message.