AUSTIN – A key legislator on Thursday raised concerns anew that Texas' novelty license plates are getting too cluttered, risking road safety for the sake of "making a couple bucks."

Rep. Joe Pickett, head of the House Transportation Committee, said he's heard from police that with so many different designs, they might have trouble validating authentic Texas tags.

"We will see a lot more confusion out there," said Pickett, D-El Paso. "It's going to be like a credit card that you can make online. Law enforcement can't tell what is real."

His comments, at a committee hearing on a number of issues, echo those a law enforcement group made last week when the state Department of Motor Vehicles approved 20 more specialized patterns from its vendor, My Plates.

Among the new offers: out-of-state college-related plates, including the University of Oklahoma and University of Tennessee; the Dallas Cowboys and other sports teams; and business-sponsored emblems, even one with a giant cheeseburger.

The Texas Municipal Police Association asked that its members be involved in the plates' visibility testing, now handled by the Department of Public Safety.

Officials with My Plates and the DMV said they would work with law enforcement to ensure the new plates passed police muster.

My Plates, which has the exclusive contract to design, sell and advertise personalized license plates, has pledged $25 million to the state over five years.

Pickett said he's worried "we just sold our soul" to make more money, especially in selling plates with non-Texas themes.

But Victor Vandergriff, the DMV board chairman, told the committee that under state law, My Plates has wide leeway in its marketing efforts.

"The horse has already left the barn because it was mandated that we allow them to sell and market to universities and hold auctions," he said.

Vandergriff said earlier that the DMV plans to closely monitor the company's financial projections as it expands plate options.