"Choose Life" Plates are Back

According to a report by The Associated Press, a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed U.S. District judge's ruling that had outlawed not only Louisiana anti-abortion license plates but also Louisiana's entire system for approving and issuing car plates. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval ruled in 2003 that the state's entire system for issuing specialty plates violates the right to free speech because the Legislature chooses who gets the tags and the money. The federal court did not address the constitutionality of the issuance of the plates, rather the court held that the lawsuit involved a tax issue that belongs in state court. The "Choose Life" plates at issue are available for an extra $25, with the added revenue dedicated to agencies that help women with unplanned pregnancies and those considering adoption.

Posted by Capital Clerks at April 14, 2005 09:09 AM