AUGUSTA – Maine’s new license plate for legislative vehicles has drawn the ire of some lawmakers.

The chief complaint appears to be the background color that fades upward from green to blue, resembling plates used in Maine’s neighboring state.

“Why was it ever changed?” Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, asked. “Now they look like New Hampshire plates, and who the hell wants to look like New Hampshire?”

The old legislative plates, which have been around since the 1970s, were blue for members of the House and red for members of the Senate.

The new version, which was issued starting last month, features a single design for all legislators. It shows the State House dome on the left; senators and House members’ plates are distinguished by the letters “S” or “H.”

But it’s the background color that seems to be leading source of irritation.

“Now it has more colors than you can imagine,” Martin said. “It was always the same. This year, someone wanted to make them look like we’re New Hampshire.”

Sen. Kenneth Gagnon, D-Waterville, who played a key role in designing the plate, said the goal was a more unified look for the House and Senate and a shift away from plates that look too much like officialdom. Gagnon said the old plates for representatives looked too much like state troopers’ plates, while the senators’ looked like volunteer firefighters’ plates.

“We used green for the House because it’s associated more with the grass roots, and blue for the Senate because it has more of a global view of issues,” Gagnon said.

Gagnon’s design committee came up with the dome design, but the idea for the colors did come from another state, Gagnon said – and it’s not New Hampshire.

“I’ve heard they look like New Hampshire, I’ve heard they look like Connecticut,” he said, laughing. “But to be honest, they were a knockoff of Colorado.”

For all his irritation, Martin acknowledges that the plates are a nonissue.

“Frankly, it doesn’t bother anyone,” he said. “The state doesn’t pay anything for the plates. No one has to buy them. No one has to put them on their vehicle.”

Legislative plates are optional for lawmakers. Those who don’t use them may obtain stickers instead.