Sarah Steelman may want to move into the governor’s mansion, but here’s one perk she doesn’t approve of: custom license plates for state legislators.

As anyone who’s ever tried to get a parking space in Jefferson City knows, members of Missouri’s General Assembly are issued special license plates, indicating whether they are a senator (”S”) or representative (”R”).

Steelman, a former state senator herself, sounder her disapproval of the practice in a Riverfront Times story last week. Reporter Kathleen McLaughlin apparently tagged along with Steelman on her trip to the opening of trout season at Montauk State Park, where they pulled up behind State Sen. Frank Barnitz - a Democrat who took over Steelman’s senate seat - and his “S-16″ license plate.

“I never used that plate,” Steelman said “almost under her breath,” according to the story.

Steelman adds that “I just don’t think elected officials should be treated any differently than regular citizens … It just doesn’t seem right to me to have a special plate because you’re elected by the people.”

Though that may be true, Steelman does not appear to be necessarily against all special plates. The story points out that Steelman’s car, a 2004 Chevy Suburban, has its own vanity plate, one that plays up to her image as the terror-fighting treasurer: “L1VFRE.”

Plate appearance: Steelman has thoughts on it