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HARRISBURG, Jan. 21 -- Bipartisan cooperation for a noble cause is coming into play during the new House session, state Rep. Harry Readshaw, D-Allegheny, said today. Readshaw said he will reintroduce his legislation to establish a license plate to benefit the preservation of Pennsylvania's monuments at Gettysburg, but with a new twist. Joining him as prime sponsor of the bill will be state Rep. Paul Clymer, R-Bucks, Republican chairman of the House State Government Committee. Last year, Clymer played a vital role in the passage of Readshaw's resolution to create the Pennsylvania Gettysburg Monuments Preservation Advisory Committee. He also has chaired the advisory panel.

The license plate legislation would authorize the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to create and sell the commemorative plate and apply a portion of the proceeds to the monument preservation effort. Many of the 135 Pennsylvania monuments and markers are in need of cleaning and, in some cases, expensive repairs. Readshaw has proposed that the plates employ the state's current standard of a blue background and yellow letters, and that the plates include a slogan such as "Gettysburg -- 1863," along with a silhouette of the Pennsylvania Memorial, the largest monument on the Gettysburg battlefield.

Adding to the optimism for the legislation's passage is the cooperation of Transportation Secretary Bradley Mallory. Readshaw said Mallory has provided him with input regarding the text of the bill to clarify the allocation of the monument preservation money raised by sales of the plate. For the past year, Readshaw has been marketing a decorative Pennsylvania Gettysburg monuments license plate for the front of vehicles or for home display. He has sold more than 700 at $20 each. Readshaw's efforts have already raised more than $30,000 for the monument preservation effort and more is in the pipeline.

"Representative Clymer's active participation and enthusiastic support was a milestone in our campaign," Readshaw said. "I greatly appreciate his teaming up with me to spearhead this noble effort to ensure that the legacy of the brave Pennsylvanians who fought at Gettysburg is not forgotten. "We look forward to the future with hope that Governor Thomas Ridge will endorse the project."

Readshaw added that other House members from both sides of the aisle have been getting personally involved in the campaign, either through contributions or through pledges to raise funds for the monuments honoring troops from their local communities. Thus far, 58 representatives from both sides of the aisle have signed on to cosponsor the license plate measure.