• Mercury News, Monday, June 21, 2010 1:41 PM

The cash-strapped California Legislature is considering a bill that would allow the state to begin researching the use of ad supported electronic license plates for vehicles. The device would resemble a standard license plate when a vehicle was is in motion, but switch to digital ads -- or other messages -- when stationary for more than four seconds. "The move is intended as a moneymaker for a state facing a $19 billion deficit," reports Mercury News.

To be clear, the license plate number would remain visible at all times in some section of the screen, and, during emergencies, the plates could be used to broadcast Amber Alerts, for example, or traffic information. The bill's author, Democratic Sen. Curren Price of Los Angeles, is waiting on the Department of Motor Vehicles' approval.

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