Typically, the answer that the state troopers in Ohio give is that the front plate bracket isn't just a revenue collecting law, but it does serve a purpose. Supposedly, you are required to have it since more and more states are going to laser speed detection instead of old K and Ka band radar and they need a flat spot to aim the laser at. That being said, most cars these days aren't square enough to have many flat spots to aim at, so we are likely to see more and more laws requiring front plates over the next couple of years.
So, in the end, it's still just a way to take more money from you. I personally would rather be fined for no plate than to have it on there and make it easier for them to get me for speeding
