May 30, 2003: ACLU Opposes Choose Life License Plate;
Calls on Governor to Veto

Dear Friends,

As many of you have heard, yesterday (May 29) the Tennessee General Assembly revived the "Choose Life" license plate bill, passing the legislation to create a "Choose Life" specialty license tag in Tennessee.

Please write Governor Bredesen and urge him to veto the legislation. His address is: Honorable Phil Bredesen, State Capitol, First Floor, Nashville, Tennessee 37243.

Background Info:

This legislation, as amended by the House and Senate, distributes portions of the funds raised only to agencies that are in partnership with New Life Resources, an arm of Tennessee’s Right to Life organization. Most of the targeted agencies are sectarian in nature; they include: Abortion Alternatives, Bethany Christian Services, Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Small World Ministries, and Mercy Ministries. A number of excellent adoption agencies are not included because they are not affiliated with the Tennessee Right to Life movement. Directing funds, collected by the State, to sectarian agencies clearly violates the separation of church-state doctrine.

In addition, the legislation establishing “Choose Life” plates is not viewpoint neutral, and therefore violates the First Amendment. The state could propose a procedure that would allow pro-choice and anti-choice groups to request their own specialty plates. What the state cannot do is favor one side in a political debate by providing for only that side to place its slogan on license plates. That is what is happening. A proposed amendment to include provisions for a pro-choice license plate failed in the State Senate.

Many thanks,
Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director