Psycho Economist

Nosing around Slate after getting referred there from some other thread, I found this story about various states (mostly southern) having "Choose Life" specialty plates.

While I don't oppose the message of the "choose life" stance, it seems ridiculous for a state to have a license plate promoting it.

It burns me that the special fees collected by the state are earmarked expressely for adoption programs that actively counsel against medial abortion, and that several legislators (at least in one state) have said it's how "the state" can express its anti-abortion sentiments, in spite of judicial restrictions on how they can regulate abortion. It'd be like California or Oregon having "Free your mind" plates with a nice big marijuana bush screened on the background.

But, I will also agree with the courts that until a plaintiff comes along who was rebuffed attempting to advance a "pro abortion" specialty tag, there is no free speech (censorship) case.

So, we gonna rally behind Planned Parenthood? Or do we "Celebrate Roe" despite the fact she's gone fundy?

Aerion

This was proposed in South Carolina and shot down pretty fast.

Psycho Economist

Not to rip-off the article, but Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma have them. Virginia just passed a law that's come under challenge, and 13 other states (including Iowa) have measures winding their way through the legislatures.

Loren Pechtel

I have no problems with such plates assuming any group that can gather enough signatures can get such a plate. The minute *ANY* such plate is refused over it's message (as opposed to how it's said--use the normal DMV rules about prohibited vanity plates) they should all be withdrawn.

theyeti

Here in South Carolina, the argument has been that we already have plates that "advocate" political positions. For instance, we have a plate that says "Protect Endangered "Wildlife" and one that says "Support Public Education". Of course, these other two aren't controversial subjects, given that nearly everyone thinks that they should be supported, though they often disagree on how they should be supported. So purchasing these plates is seen more as a chartible gift to these causes (public education or wildlife rescue) rather than a political statement.

Unfortunately, the "Choose Life" plates are entirely political. If the proceedes are going to adoption agencies, then the plate could read "Adoption, the Bridge of Love" or some other statement that was not overtly anti-choice. These are clearly a state sanctioned pro-life advertisement, and it really sickens me just how cynical they are about it. If we're going to allow the state to sell licence plates for people to express their political views, I would rather just do away with them altogether, including the education and wildlife plates. We don't need licence plates that divide people along ideological lines.

theyeti

Aerion

Well said, theyeti!!

Kinross

Organizational plates do not cost the tax payers a dime, they actually bring in money. All that is rquired is a set number of signatures to indicate interest and the organization usually has to pay for the stamp to make the plate. If you have the cash and the signatures you can get a plate.

Why do you care what is on the plate? It simply becomes a matter of freadom of speech. If you have an oganization that wishes to have a plate and the state rejectes, you have an extremely good case of the violation of the 1st ammendment.