Arizona could soon put homegrown rocker Alice Cooper on license plate to aid nonprofit

The Arizona government may soon give its residents a way to support Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers.

The Arizona House of Representatives voted to approve HB 2615 on Thursday last week. It received bipartisan support, passing 41-17. Two representatives didn’t vote on the proposal.

If the bill becomes law, it will create a “Youth Music and Art” specialty license plate and fund to support Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers. It’s an Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity based in Phoenix and Mesa. It’s provided free music, dance, and art classes since 1996. They extend opportunities to people between the ages of 12 and 20.

According to his 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction biography, Cooper moved to Phoenix from Detroit, Michigan as a child. He graduated from Cortez High School in Phoenix.

Specialty license plates represent no cost to the taxpayer in Arizona.

The Arizona Department of Transportation allows people to get a specialty license plate instead of a regular plate. They generate revenue for the state and the nonprofit organization in question. The plates require an annual fee of $25 in addition to the vehicle registration fee. Of the $25, $8 is an administrative fee, and $17 is a donation to the charity.

Rep. Joseph Chaplik, R-Scottsdale, is the bill’s primary sponsor.

“In supporting the Solid Rock Teen Centers nonprofit with a specialty license plate, Arizonans will help teens find inspiration to learn and grow through music and the arts, and help them overcome common challenges of homelessness, suicidal thoughts, and mental health,” he said in a statement.

The bill awaits consideration in a Senate Committee.