A judge ruled North Carolina cannot continue to issue pro-life license plates unless it also offers plates that support abortion rights.
WGHP reports U.S. District Court Judge James C. Fox made the ruling Friday, December 7, 2012.
The North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill June 18, 2011 authorizing the ‘Choose Life’ license plate. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the plates went to the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, North Carolina’s contact for Choose Life, Inc. which is trying to get ‘Choose Life’ license plates on the road in all 50 states.
The court ruling said the legislature refused six attempts to amend the act by also including a specialty plate that supported a pro-choice view.
Judge Fox said the state offering a ‘Choose Life’ license plate but not a pro-choice plate is discrimination and violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
In November 2011, the judge issued an injunction to temporarily stop production of the ‘Choose Life’ plates. His Friday ruling makes that injunction permanent.
