Choose Life license plates
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Choose Life license plates are
History
In 1997, Choose Life, Inc. collected the 10,000 signatures and US$30,000 required under Florida law at the time to submit an application for a new specialty plate, and State Senator Tom Lee sponsored a bill in support of the tag's creation.[4] The bill passed both houses of the Florida Legislature in early 1998, but was vetoed by then-Governor Lawton Chiles, who stated that license plates are not the "proper forum for debate" on political issues.[4][5] While campaigning for the governorship later in 1998, Jeb Bush stated that, if elected, he would sign a Choose Life bill if approved by the legislature.[4] Choose Life, Inc. went forward with the plate application again, and, after passing both houses, Governor Bush signed it into law on June 8, 1999.[4][6][7] Since then, Choose Life, Inc. has been active in helping groups in other states pursue "Choose Life" license plates.[8][9] As of April 30, 2010, Choose Life, Inc. reported that Choose Life license plates had raised over $12 million.[10] On June 21, 2011, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed House Bill 501, which directs the funds from the plates directly to Choose Life, Inc.[11]
Choose Life, Inc. is a
States with Choose Life license plates
As of 2023, Choose Life license plates are available in 34 states and the District of Columbia:[2]
- Alabama
- Alaska[12]
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia[13]
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts[14]
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana [15]
- Nebraska (2017)[16]
- New Jersey[17]
- North Carolina (2016)[18]
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas[19]
- Utah
- Virginia
- Wisconsin (2016)[20]
States where Choose Life has been rejected
- Michigan: In 2017, Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed a bill proposing the plates, citing "the potential to bitterly divide millions of Michiganders".[21]
- New York: For several years, litigation occurred between the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) and the Department of Motor Vehicles. The original decision not to offer the specialty plates was overruled, but the issuance of the plates was held back pending an appeal in 2011.[22] After more litigation, in 2015 the New York Department of Motor Vehicles' policy to exclude controversial, politically sensitive messages from plates was “reasonable and viewpoint neutral, which is all that the First Amendment requires" according to the 2nd Circuit majority opinion.[23] After the decision in Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, which gave states the right to determine whatever speech they want or do not want on plates issued by their state, no further appeal of the 2nd District decision was made by the ADF.
- Rhode Island: Gov. Lincoln Chafee vetoed a bill proposing the plates, citing the inappropriateness of using state license plates to fund religious initiatives.[1]
Reaction and criticism
"Choose Life" license plates have been criticized by
Before June 2015, the
As of 2011[update], five states currently offer license plates which promote abortion rights: Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.[31]
See also
References
- ^ a b "'Choose Life' License Plate Vetoed By Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee". AP. July 17, 2013. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Choose-Life.org, accessed September 2017
- ^ Palmer, Alyson M. (April 6, 2006). "'Choose Life' License Tag May Hit a Bump in the Road." Fulton County Daily Report. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gielow Jacobs, Leslie. (2001). Free Speech and the Limits of Legislative Discretion: The Example of Specialty License Plates Archived September 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine. Florida Law Review, 53 (3), 419-432.
- ^ Lithwick, Dahlia. (February 6, 2003). "Poetic Licenses." Slate. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
- ^ "Florida approves `Choose Life' license plate." (November 24, 1999). The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
- ^ Olszonowicz, Deborah. (September 1999). Motor Vehicle Registration and License Plates. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
- ^ Burge, Kathleen. (May 5, 2006). "Driving force." Boston Globe. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c Madigan, Erin. (November 25, 2002). "Choose Life Car Tags Spark Debate." Stateline.org. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
- ^ Choose Life, Inc. (June 18, 2010). Choose Life Newsletter Archived May 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ^ Virginia Chamlee, June 22, 2011, Scott signs ‘Choose Life’ bill into law http://floridaindependent.com/35692/rick-scott-choose-life%5B%5D
- ^ "Personalized License Plate". online.dmv.alaska.gov. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "The "Choose Life" License Plate is Approved in Washington,D.C." (Press release). The Children First Foundation. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ^ Wangsness, Lisa. (June 18, 2010). "Antiabortion message for specialty plate." Boston Globe. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ^ "Options Clinic". Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division. 20 February 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ "Ricketts signs bill creating 'Choose Life' specialty license plates". Omaha World-Herald. 6 April 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ "The New Jersey Choose Life License Plate is Now Available". The Children First Foundation. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Court rules whether N.C. can make "Choose Life" plates". CBS News. 10 March 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ "TxDMV-Special Plate Order Application". rts.texasonline.state.tx.us. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "Controversial pro-life license plate approved". Appleton Post-Crescent. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- MLive. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ ‘Choose Life’ plates win a round, Rick Karlin, November 9, 2011, "Capitol Confidential" Times-Union
- ^ NY can ban 'Choose Life' license plates as DMV program upheld, Jonathan Stempel, May 22, 2015, Reuters
- ^ Hurst, Sarah E. (2003). A One Way Street to Unconstitutionality: The “Choose Life” Specialty License Plate. Ohio State Law Journal, 64 (3), 957-998. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
- ^ The Center for Reproductive Rights. (August 2002). "Choose Life" License Plates Archived July 1, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
- ^ W. Alexander Evans (April 2008). "License to Discriminate: 'Choose Life' License Plates and the Government Speech Doctrine". Nevada Law Journal. William S. Boyd School of Law, UNLV, Las Vegas, Nevada. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (March 22, 2004). "Planned Parenthood of S.C. Inc. v. Rose, 361 F.3d 786 (4th Cir. 2004)". Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (March 17, 2006). "ACLU of Tenn. v. Bredesen, 441 F.3d 370 (6th Cir. 2006)". Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ a b United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (May 22, 2015). "Children First Foundation, Inc. v. Fiala, 790 F. 3d 328 (2nd Cir. 2015)". Retrieved September 19, 2017.
- ^ United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (November 7, 2008). "Choose Life Illinois, Inc. v. White, 547 F.3d 853 (7th Cir. 2008)". Retrieved July 3, 2013.
- ^ Potter, Dena (May 25, 2011). "Pro-Choice License Plate Advocated In Virginia: Supporters Threaten Lawsuit". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2012.