North Carolina can offer 'Choose Life' license plates, court rules

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / Reuters

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - North Carolina can issue specialty license plates with an anti-abortion slogan but reject alternatives supporting abortion rights without running afoul of the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court said on Thursday in reversing its earlier opinion.

The 2-1 ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals clears the way for the state to offer the "Choose Life" plate approved by its Republican-led legislature in 2011.

The appeals court previously had blocked the anti-abortion plate, ruling the state's refusal to also offer a plate with an abortion rights slogan such as "Respect Choice" constituted "viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment."

But the court reversed itself in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year in a case involving specialty license plates in Texas. Justices ruled Texas had not violated free speech rights by rejecting a proposed license plate featuring the Confederate flag because state-issued plates are government speech, not private speech.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/north-carolina-offer-choose-life-license-plates-court-200925385.html

[Gregorian]

1. Do they even know

[forest444]

2. And you can bet McCrory has given the go-ahead to harass anyone that does not.

Especially if the driver is of a certain skin color.

[mwooldri]

20. You mis-spelled McCrony.

Our governor. Paid for by Duke Energy shareholders.

[forest444]

23. Zing!

[cstanleytech]

3. Doesnt make any sense to me for the courts to agree that its ok to deny the "Respect Choice" plates

yet allowing the "Choose Life" plates as imo they should both be allowed as both are personal opinions.

[elmac]

5. when have the fascists ever made any sence

its just more lies, double speak, so much for separation of church & state.

[PatrynXX]

24. all I can say to this

is make sure there's bumper stickers of Peace anti war and anti death penalty next to it. then you'd be honest

[happyslug]

30. As the Article States, the US Supreme Court says what is on a plate is up to the state

Thus Texas had the right to REFUSE to provide a plate with a Confederate Flag on it on the grounds what is on a plate is something the STATE is saying not the driver of the vehicle. The same reasoning applies in this case, if the State is willing to say it supports the "Right to Life" but does not support "Respect Choice" that is up to the STATE to decide. It is NOT a personal choice but a decision left up to the state what a states permits on its License plates.

The Supreme Court may have ruled otherwise if the slogan was mandated. In the 1970s Vermont had a slogan "Live Free to die" on its plates and someone who oppose war taped over it. That was against Vermont law but he took it to the US Supreme Court saying freedom of religion and that slogan violated his religious beliefs opposing war. The US Supreme Court ruled he had the right to tape over the slogan for it was on ALL Vermont plates and thus he had NO choice but to display it. When it comes to plates other then the default plates issued by the State, that ruling has no affect for such non default plates are NOT required for you to put on your vehicle. You can decide to do so or not do so. The Supreme Court ruled what is on such optional plates is solely up to the state to decide. If a state wants to have a Confederate Flag on such plates, it may do so, if the State does NOT want such plates, it may refuse to do so. Since the plate is NOT mandatory it is up to the state to decide what can be on such plates.

The same with "Choose life" and "Respect life" you do NOT have to put on your vehicle a plate with either statement, and thus it is up to the State alone what it wants to provide on such non default plates. If a state wants to provide one but not the other, that is up to the sole discretion of the state.

[cstanleytech]

32. Yes but both are in essence cases of people expressing an opinion and in this case

the states saying "No, we will only support this opinion and the rest of you are denied that right."
I could understand of course the state denying the request if it was for something truly vulgar but the choice plate isnt vulgar anymore than the life one is.

[DesertFlower]

4. i don't think license plates

should carry any messages. i don't care what anyone's views are.

[scscholar]

11. Especially the message to "eat the children first"

like in Virginia.

[DesertFlower]

17. omg. nt

[scscholar]

21. Sorry, it was kids, not children

[link:?1|

[happyslug]

31. That is a combination of a Vanity plate and a Specialty Plate

The Specialty plate provides the "Kids First" the Vanity plate left the driver pick the words "Eat The".

In 2009 that plate was REVOKED by the state of Virginia, on the grounds the plate was the property of the State of Virginia and could be revoked at any time.

http://jalopnik.com/5724684/virginia-dmv-revokes-worlds-greatest-license-plate

In 2011 the owner obtain a slightly different plate:

http://jalopnik.com/5841854/virginia-dmv-accidentally-re-approves-worlds-greatest-license-plate

From what I have read it was also revoked.

Most states do NOT permit vanity plates on their Specialty plates, if you order a Specialty plate, you are stuck with what ever number comes with the plate. Virginia is one of those states that permit Vanity Statements on Specialty plates thus you are more likely get a combination like the one site in Virginia as oppose to some other state.

[valerief]

6. Can Death Penalty advocates or ammosexuals get "Choose Death" plates? nt

[Gore1FL]

7. As long as the word "choose" is in there, I am not particulary worried

I am, however, inclined to make license plates be license plates and not double as bumper stickers.

[Tab]

8. And are they also offering "Choose Choice"?

Jus' wondering....

[Laffy Kat]

10. Nope. See reply #3. nt

[FreedomRain]

9. sounds prety unfair yeah

but let the fools tax themselves while trivializing their own viewpoint

[jmowreader]

12. It makes it easy to know who not to hire, anyway

[DallasNE]

13. Governments Are People Too

First, Citizens United declared that corporations are people and now in the Texas case it says governments are people. But it gets tricky with government because can the State gag the County? License plates are issued by the county government so what happens if the County would want to put a different message on the plates. Do they lose their speech rights when the State exercises their speech rights. With Scalia's passing maybe we will see less legislating from the bench and fewer unsupportable decisions being handed down. At least we can hope.

[Ford_Prefect]

28. In North Carolina the State is the only authority to issue plates. County government has no say.

The NC legislature has been very busy assigning to itself overriding authority for all kinds of what were once considered local issues like control and ownership of county and municipal water services and resources.

But vehicle plates and their content have always been the domain of the state DMV.

[MADem]

14. Gee....what a GREAT idea....

But only if they use THIS logo....

[AlbertCat]

16. Hey! What's wrong with this one?????

[jdadd]

15. Ohio has had these for years now....

https://s.yimg.com/fz/api/res/1.2/w1HWhl_wCmGDWsc9Mnkx.A--/YXBwaWQ9c3JjaGRkO2g9NTcyO3E9OTU7dz0xMTI1/

[philosslayer]

22. Disgusting....

n/t

[retrowire]

18. Damn it. Being politically aware of my own state for the first time

really makes me love the state, but despise it's government... :/

[left-of-center2012]

19. Do people who "Choose Life" also favor the death penalty?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[ErikJ]

25. Grafitti magnet

Lots of possiblities.

[cemaphonic]

26. For fairness' sake, they should also allow "Frankie Say Relax" license plates.

Don't do it!

[rockfordfile]

27. Needs to be a push for a pro choice license plate

[Nitram]

29. How about a "Parenthood" licence plate?

No mention of "planned", but...