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All eyes this week are on a legislative body weighing a decision absolutely critical to the future of American democracy.

Yes, as you鈥檝e likely already guessed, the Washington State Legislature must decide whether or not to approve a J.P. Patches and Gertrude .

And while time is running out, Patches Pals from all walks of life are voicing their support.

Today is the 63rd anniversary of the debut of J.P. Patches on 成人X站 TV back in 1958, from which springs the phenomenon that is 鈥淛.P. Patches and Gertrude鈥� 鈥� hosts of a kids TV show for 23 years, progenitors of the Patches Pal checklist, made immortal by a , and community icons still 鈥� 40 years after the show went off the air, nine years after (who played JP) died, and just a few months after Bob Newman聽(who played Gertrude) passed away, too.

Thus, the timing couldn鈥檛 be better to highlight an effort to create a specialty license plate honoring J.P. and Gertrude and the Patches Pals, as the dedicated fans call themselves.

Specialty plates are different than regular license plates 鈥� you鈥檝e seen them before, touting state universities, law enforcement, and recreational pursuits such as skiing. The specialty plates function just like regular plates as far as the Department of Licensing (DOL) is concerned, but they have their own design, and they cost more than regular plates, with the extra proceeds supporting a related nonprofit.聽 According to Christine Anthony of the DOL, the WSU plate is the most popular 鈥� there are more than 20,000 of those out on the streets 鈥� and the Seahawks plate is number two with about 15,000.

The J.P. & Gertrude plate is the brainchild of a group of dedicated Patches Pals 鈥� let鈥檚 call them Patches Plate Pals. One of them is Chris Rimple. He鈥檚 in his 50s, lives in Burien, and works in tech. He鈥檚 a Patches Pal from way back, and he鈥檚 helping lead the effort to get the DOL to create a plate, which actually requires the Washington State Legislature to weigh in; the DOL’s role in the new plate effort was completed a few years ago.

Rimple told 成人X站 Radio that this year and this session in Olympia is his group鈥檚 fourth attempt to get the Legislature to enact the necessary law.

鈥淲e’ve tried and failed to get all the way to the governor’s desk the last three years after having strong bipartisan support simply because the Legislature has run out of time,鈥� Rimple said. 鈥淭hey’ve had too much to do, and specialty plates have been on the back burner, frankly.鈥�

The lawmaking effort came incredibly close last year, but ultimately stalled in the state Senate. But this didn鈥檛 deter Rimple and the rest of the J.P. and Gertrude license plate boosters.

鈥淲e’ve been fortunate to find a sponsor this year who was willing to bring the bill forward, and it currently sits with the House Transportation Committee, and we just need to see it moved forward,鈥� Rimple said. 鈥淎gain, it’s got strong bipartisan support, and we would love to see it get to the governor’s desk this year.鈥�

The in the specialty plate process is pretty intense. The group collected 3,500 signatures from people who pledged to buy a plate when they鈥檙e available, and then submitted a $6,300 fee. They also worked with the DOL and noted graphic designer/Patches Pal Curt Hanks to design the plate, which features a colorful vintage photo of J.P. and Gertrude from around 1970.

Rimple acknowledges that the Legislature鈥檚 work on COVID-related issues has meant even less time to focus on other things, like specialty license plates. But Rimple says that along with the joy that the late TV clowns can still bring people via a license plate, there鈥檚 an important charitable side of the J.P. & Gertrude plate that also shouldn鈥檛 get lost in the shuffle: Seattle Children鈥檚.

鈥淭he beneficiary of the sale of the plates is not the state or some random organization,鈥� Rimple said. 鈥淚t’s going directly toward cancer research for children, which of course is a very worthy cause, and Seattle Children’s has a long history of association with J.P. Patches and with Chris Wedes, the actor who portrayed him.鈥�

Eve Kopp of Seattle Children鈥檚 says the hospital is grateful to partner with the Patches Pals on the license plate, and says the money generated by the plate would not be an insignificant amount.

鈥淢y understanding is the new Patches Pals plates would cost $77.25 for a regular passenger vehicle,鈥� Kopp said, 鈥渁nd $28 would benefit cancer immunotherapy research at Seattle Children鈥檚.鈥�

鈥淚t was effectively his favorite charity throughout his life,鈥� Chris Rimple said of Seattle Children鈥檚.

Wedes, like Russell Wilson decades later, was a frequent and incredibly popular visitor to what was then called Children鈥檚 Orthopedic Hospital. A playroom was even named for J.P. in the 1970s, though Eve Kopp says it was since renamed the Oki Family Playroom, for the philanthropists Scott and Laurie Oki, who are major donors to Seattle Children鈥檚.

In spite of the work put in by the Patches Plate Pals 鈥� and in spite of those potential funds for Seattle Children鈥檚 for cancer research 鈥� the Patches Pal plate itself hangs in the balance, buffeted by the shifting winds of politics, priorities, and the pandemic.

At the moment, the J.P. Patches and Gertrude specialty license plate bill 鈥� 鈥� is sitting on the virtual desk of the House Transportation Committee Chair, , Democrat of Tacoma. This means it鈥檚 up to Representative Fey to decide whether or not to schedule the bill for review by the House Transportation Committee. If he schedules a hearing for the bill, the Patches Pal plate moves forward; if he doesn鈥檛 schedule a hearing, the plate effort stalls for at least another year.

Rep. Fey told 成人X站 Radio on Tuesday that the pandemic has indeed made his job tougher, especially when it comes to making time to review what might not be considered critical legislation.

鈥淲e’re in a tough situation, both in terms of the pandemic and also in the fact that we’re doing a virtual legislative session,鈥� Rep. Fey said. 鈥淎nd on the House Democratic side of things, we have agreed to be very careful about the kinds of bills that we introduce. There are bills that have to do with the pandemic, with climate change, with equity for disadvantaged communities.鈥�

鈥淛.P. Patches doesn’t kind of fit into those criteria,鈥� Fey said. 鈥淎nd we have limited time to move bills.鈥�

While Fey appears to be the sole gatekeeper at the moment, he also told 成人X站 Radio that he plans to meet virtually with his counterpart in the State Senate 鈥� that鈥檚 , Democrat from Lake Stevens, and Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee — and that the two will discuss the prospects for the Patches Pal plate bill. Fey says that for the bill to become law, even if the House Transportation Committee and then the full House does pass it, the Senate also needs to take it up and put it through their own committee-to-full-chamber process before it would go to the governor to be signed into law.

Given this big decision that Fey has to make sometime in the next week or so, it鈥檚 no surprise that Chris Rimple and the other Patches Plate Pals are encouraging people 鈥� especially Patches Pals 鈥� to share their opinion with the state Legislature about the license plate, and the value of approving it 鈥� even during, or maybe even especially during, the pandemic.

鈥淲e’ve even tried to make it as easy as possible for Patches Pals to do so,鈥� Rimple said, the tech guy part of him temporarily eclipsing the Patches Pals part. 鈥淚f you go to we have pre-written emails that you can send. There鈥檚 even clickable links that can open in your mail client to send for you.鈥�

鈥淲e’re trying to keep people very well informed about where we are in the process and how they can help us,鈥� Rimple said.

成人X站 Radio also contacted Governor Jay Inslee鈥檚 office to see if he had taken any position on HB-1374, and to also confirm whether or not the leader of the Evergreen State is, in fact, a Patches Pal.

A spokesperson initially declined to comment on the Patches Pal plate, and said via email that the Governor generally does not comment on pending legislation unless he or one of his agencies has requested the particular legislation.

But then, a second spokesperson weighed in.

“He definitely watched the show and was a fan,鈥� wrote Tara Lee, Executive Director of聽 Communications for Governor Inslee. 鈥淗e says he does support this license plate.鈥�

And Gov. Inslee officially considers himself a Patches Pal, too, Lee added.

Remember that J.P. and Gertrude phenomenon mentioned above? It apparently can work its magic in the halls of power in Olympia, too.

With all this support from Patches Pals 鈥� and the very rare and highly unusual support for the legislation by one Patches Pal in particular (who lives in a mansion in Olympia) 鈥� what does this mean for Representative Fey as he weighs his options and the fast-approaching end of the Legislative session?

鈥淚’m sure [Governor Inslee is] in favor of it because he might have been a Patches Pal himself and can relate to this,鈥� Fey said. 鈥淚 mean, he’s close to my age. But they generally don’t weigh in on bills like this.鈥�

Does the fact that Gov. Inslee did weigh in with his support make this pending bill special?

鈥淲ell, yes, I suppose it makes it special,鈥� Representative Fey said.

Does this mean the pressure is on?

鈥淵eah, the pressure is on,鈥� Fey said, with a chuckle. 鈥淚 can hardly wait for those thousands and thousands of emails to come in now.鈥�

鈥淚 makes me wonder why I agreed to this interview,鈥� Fey added, his chuckle turning to full-on laughter.

To share your opinion on the Patches Pal plate with key members of the Washington State Legislature, visit the .

But please remember that the old Patches Pal checklist, along with its admonitions to clean your plate and to say your prayers, also says to always be polite!

You can hear Feliks every Wednesday and Friday morning on Seattle鈥檚 Morning News and read more from him聽here. If you have a story idea, please email Feliks聽here.