Federal Judge Bans North Carolina’s “Choose Life” License Plates
U.S. District Court Judge James Fox ruled Friday that the “Choose Life” tag violated the First Amendment, the Raleigh News & Observer reported. In issuing a permanent injunction, he called it “viewpoint discrimination” because the state did not offer a plate supporting reproductive choice.
The Republican-controlled Legislature authorized the plate in June 2011, rejecting six efforts to include additional plates that declared “Respect Choice,” or “Trust Women. Respect Choice.” Gov. Bev Purdue, a Democrat, signed the measure that November.
The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union then sued on behalf of four auto owners, and Fox issued a temporary injunction blocking the sale of “Choose Life,” a national organization lobbying to get the plate in all 50 states.
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