ALBANY - Starting in April, New Yorkers will have to spend $25 for new license plates if their current ones are 10 years or older.

The move, announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday, has drawn strong rebukes from the public, and now some state lawmakers are vowing to pass a bill that would stop the new fee from going into effect.

"It seems like the state is finding new reasons to replace our license plates, and it’s happening over and over again, costing us, the taxpayers, more money each time. Enough is enough,” Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, D-Rotterdam.

Santabarbara said he is introducing legislation that would ban the state from requiring new license plates if drivers' existing ones are still in good shape.

A separate bill filed Wednesday by Republican Sen. Robert Ortt would require the state Department of Motor Vehicles to waive the $25 fee for new plates.

"This is nothing more than another Albany cash grab and a creative way to raise taxes without calling it a tax," the bill from Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, Niagara County, said.

"New York taxpayers shouldn't be forced to pay for new state-mandated plates when there's no issue with their current plates."

There are about 3 million drivers estimated to have license plates more than 10 years old. So that could mean $75 million in new fees to the state's coffers.

Why are new plates needed?

On Monday, Cuomo announced a contest for the public to vote from among five new designs for the state's next license plate.

One of plates is of the new Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in the Hudson Valley and others include images of the Statue of Liberty.

But the announcement also noted that the state will need to replace any license plates that are 10 years or older, saying the current ones may not be easily readable by E-Z Pass and future cashless tolling systems.

Since then, Cuomo has had to defend the $25 charge. He said Wednesday during a visit to the State Fair outside of Syracuse that the fee is needed to cover the cost of the new plates.

Otherwise, he said, the cost would come from all taxpayers, including those who do not own a vehicle.

Without the new plates, some toll scofflaws might be able to get away unnoticed by the electronic tolling system, which will start being implemented across the state Thruway next year.

"You can design a better plate for the license-plate reader," Cuomo said. "The reason that is important is we want to make sure people pay their tolls. Because if I don’t pay my toll, you’re going to pay my toll, right?"

It will cost another $20 to keep a current license plate number or vanity plate.

Will lawmakers succeed?

Cuomo said the $25 fee was put on the books in 2009. That year, then-Gov. David Paterson tried to require all drivers to buy new license plates for $25 each, but he eventually scaled back the plan when he faced outcry similar to the one now.

Cuomo, though, indicated he has no plans to reconsider the new license-plate plan, reiterating it is needed to stay current with latest tolling technology.

And if lawmakers wanted to pass a bill to block the fee, they would need Cuomo's signature or if he vetoed it, they would need a two-third vote of the Legislature to override him — something that hasn't happened since he took office in 2011.

Also, the lawmakers' actions will have to wait awhile. They are not due back to Albany until January, when they will start their annual six-month legislative session.

In the meantime, Sen. James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, said Thursday he started a petition drive to fight the $25 cost.

“Enough is enough! It’s time to send a message to the Governor, DMV and legislative leaders that taxpayers are tired of the state constantly reaching into people’s wallets and nickel and diming the over-burdened taxpayers," Tedisco said in a statement.

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