Georgia Push for Choose Life License Plates Stalled

LifeNews.com ^ | 7-13-03 | Steven Ertelt

[cpforlife.org]

Atlanta, GA (LifeNews.com) -- Unlike in several other southern states, the move for Choose Life license plates in Georgia has stalled.

As do most other states, Georgia has affinity license plates for just about every political cause or charity. The enormous number of plates has caused the state to examine its entire plate system, which is holding up issuance of a Choose Life plate to support adoption and abortion alternatives.

A legislative study committee was created by the Georgia state legislature earlier this year to clean up the plate system. That put 60 new plates on hold, including the Choose Life one.

Some legislators believe the state has too many plates.

"We probably made some mistakes in the past by allowing these tags to exist," said Rep. Lee Howell (D) a member of the special study committee. He believes the system has become too costly.

Rep. Bobby Parham (D), chairman of the House Motor Vehicles Committee, didn't push the bill to the full House because of those financial concerns.

But supporters of the plates disagree saying that neighboring and nearby states, including Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, all have put forward the plates.

"It's going to help the families in Georgia. We've got women who are in crisis pregnancy centers, and we've got kids who need to be adopted," said Rep. Jack White (R), chief sponsor of the "Choose Life" tag legislation, told the Macon Telegraph. "This seems to be, particularly in a time of financial austerity, a good time to do something like this."

White said that if the legislature fails to approve the Choose Life plate, it should be easy to collect enough signatures -- a secondary means of getting a plate approved. However, that method would not allow the plate to raise additional money for abortion alternative groups.

Sadie Fields of the Georgia Christian Coalition tells LifeNews.com the designation of the money is also becoming a problem.

"Where the rub comes is on the designated part. Legal counsel says it is unconstitutional to designate the funds [to pro-life groups]," Fields explained.

Fields says the only way to make sure none of the money is designated to pro-abortion groups may be by passing a constitutional amendment to authorize the plates.

"Otherwise, our people would not buy a tag where there might be a chance the money could go to an organization that was pro-abortion -- and I would not either."

Pro-abortion groups oppose the pro-life plates and say they will take them to court if passed.

"It would be a shame for Georgia taxpayers to fund an effort that's doomed to be struck down in federal court anyway," said Beth Cope, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia.

[cpforlife.org]

Please let me know if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.

[longtermmemmory]

have these people seen florida's collection of plates? People PAY for them, what is the problem.

[madprof98]

Georgia's constitution is a clutter of junk amendments. Passing one to get a Choose Life plate would not be all that hard--but the Dems here would surely block the effort to get it on the ballot if they could.

[Viet Vet in Augusta GA]

I pay $25.00 per year for my vanity plate and others pay more for special designs/wording like this...if billed to the car owner at cost (or even cost plus a small profit), what's the problem???

[Britton J Wingfield]

Get a bumpersticker.

[Coleus]

Do you have contact info. so we can FREEP them!

[cpforlife.org]

No, I've got something better....

[cpforlife.org]

NOW AVAILABLE!

FULL COLOR SPECIALTY PLATES!

AND
BLACK & WHITE letter License Frames!

Benefiting the
NATIONAL AMERICAN HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
Available for all states. Tell all your friends!
Don't wait for the government's permission!
CLICK HERE

[Coleus]

thanks, great idea. One problem for me is that my state requires regular license plates on both ends, front and back. I'll pass it along to those who are out of state.

[Coleus]

oops..the frame we can use.

[cpforlife.org]

Here in Louisiana we had state DMV "CHOOSE LIFE" plates available for several months till a fed judge halted the sale: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/943301/posts

IMO the B & W frame is more visible than both the LA & GA DMV versions, and the full color is MUCH better.

[Coleus]

Sad, isn't it? At the time this bill was posted we had a Republican Catholic: Acting Governor, Senate President, Assembly Speaker and Majority Leader with a Repbulican Majority Legislature and they couldn't even get it out of committee. What a shame.

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2000/Bills/A3500/3197_I1.HTM

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Coleus]

You should add some resarch/marketing info on your order form. Such as:

Are you a Knight? Council Name/number, address phone, pro life contact person, etc.

Are you with pro life orgainzations? which ones and contact info, etc.

This way you can build some lists and a data base. Ask if you can e mail them weekly newsbites, etc.

Religious affiliation (optional)

And write your disclaimer that you won't share or sell information.

[MEGoody]

"People PAY for them, what is the problem."

I'm not sure about the manufacturing process for plates. But maybe the more different kinds you have, the more expensive the manufacturing process. And we all know there is an unlimited number of political causes out there that could demand their own plate. I think they have to draw the line. (I wish they would have done this AFTER the issuance of the pro-life plate, however.)

[cpforlife.org]

Hey!

Those are great ideas! THANK YOU!

[cpforlife.org]

LOL - And more importanntly I've got to get it to PDF!
No other format stays stable! And it already morphed when downloading back to my own computer.

thank goodness for Adobe

[montag813]

"It would be a shame for Georgia taxpayers to fund an effort that's doomed to be struck down in federal court anyway," said Beth Cope, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia.

This is the striking part of the article...how confident the extreme left is that their agenda will be backed up by the Clinton judiciary. Meanwhile Bill Frist and his pathetic band of faggots in the GOP leadership do nothing while every Conservative judicial nominee is shot down, and hundreds of federal vacancies are left unfilled, leaving Clintonistas in firm control.