Excellent and 100% correct decision ~ "Choose Life" plates are not unconstitutional per se ~ but they immediately become unconstititutional if/when the state refuses to allow "Respect Choice" plates ~ obviously the state rep threatening to appeal is a fairly dim bulb ~ Sooz

Tuesday, Dec 11, 2012 02:55 PM CST
Federal judge rules “Choose Life” license plates unconstitutional
It is "viewpoint discrimination" for North Carolina to only offer an anti-abortion plate, the judge wrote
By Jillian Rayfield

A federal judged has banned North Carolina from issuing “Choose Life” license plates, ruling that it is unconstitutional for the state not to offer a pro-choice alternative.

U.S. District Judge James C. Fox wrote in his ruling that ”The State’s offering a Choose Life license plate in the absence of a pro-choice alternative constitutes viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.”

Reuters reports:


“This is a great victory for the free speech rights of all North Carolinians, regardless of their point of view on reproductive freedom,” said Chris Brook of the ACLU, CNN reports. “The government cannot create an avenue of expression for one side of a contentious political issue while denying an equal opportunity to citizens with the opposite view.”

State Rep. Mitch Gillespie, the Republican who sponsored the bill for the license plates, said he would appeal Judge Fox’s ruling.

http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/federal_judge_rules_choose_life_license_plates_unconstitutional/

I'm going to get a plate that says FOCUS (Fuck off cos you're stupid)

What happened to the good ol' days when license plates just had the name of the state and the state motto?!

A yes, the good ol' days when most women still had knitting needles handy and a hard working man could make a good living playing doctor in the back alley.