Illinois lawmaker proposes a Pope Leo XIV statue and license plate

SPRINGFIELD — A state legislator wants to generate revenue through commemorative license plates to help pay for a statue of Pope Leo XIV at the Illinois statehouse.

To mark the historical milestone of the former south suburban Dolton resident’s ascendancy to the highest position in the Holy See, state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Lake Barrington, proposed building a statue on the grounds of the state capitol.

To afford the construction, a special fund would be formed, accepting public and private donations, according to a measure McLaughlin recently introduced.

Additional money could be acquired through a proposed commemorative license plate fund that would be set up under the Secretary of State’s Office.

Those special license plates could be purchased for $27, according to McLaughlin’s plan. Of that, $12 would go toward offsetting the cost of the statue’s construction. The cost to renew the license plate would be $17, according to the bill.

The Office of the Architect of the Capitol would be given control of the design and placement of the statue, but the legislation does not specify a timeline for the creation of the license plates or statue.

The statue would accompany similar memorials to major figures on capitol grounds, such as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.

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