North Carolina’s Anti-Abortion License Plates May Not Be Ready In Time For Christmas
North Carolina is attempting to release “Choose Life” license plates because when women spot the message on another car they’ll be forced to look deep within their souls and reconsider their moral beliefs (on whether or not it’s okay to key someone’s car). The ACLU of North Carolina is suing because six attempts to issue an accompanying “Respect Choice” or “Trust Women. Respect Choice” plate have been denied. Today, a federal judge sided with the ACLU, issuing a preliminary injunction to keep the DMV from releasing the plates.
The issue in the case is whether license plates constitute private speech or government speech. The ACLU is arguing the former point, saying that making only the anti-choice plates available violates citizens’ First Amendment rights. If the plates are government speech, then the state’s legislature can put forth only the message it chooses. Star News Online reports that U.S. District Judge James Fox found that since drivers are the ones buying the plates (with a majority of the proceeds going to an anti-abortion group), they count as private speech. His injunction prevents the state from making the plates available until another federal court makes a final judgement