Choose Life (organization)

Choose Life, Inc. is an American pro-life organization based in Ocala, Florida. [Palmer, Alyson M. (April 6, 2006). " [http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1144228259980 'Choose Life' License Tag May Hit a Bump in the Road] ." "Fulton County Daily Report." Retrieved June 23, 2007.] It was founded in 1997 by Randy Harris, Commissioner of Marion County, after he got an idea to use specialty license plates as a way to raise funds for promoting adoption over abortion while stuck in traffic.Gielow Jacobs, Leslie. (2001). [http://www.flr.law.ufl.edu/pdf/jacobs-article.pdf Free Speech and the Limits of Legislative Discretion: The Example of Specialty License Plates] . "Florida Law Review, 53 (3)", 419-432.] The plates feature the phrase "Choose Life", a slogan used by the pro-life movement, and a child art-like drawing of two children.

In 1997, Choose Life, Inc. collected the 10,000 signatures and US$30,000 required under Florida law at the time to submit an application for a new specialty plate, and State Senator Tom Lee sponsored a bill in support of the tag's creation. The bill passed both houses of the Florida Legislature in early 1998, but was vetoed by then-Governor Lawton Chiles, who stated that license plates are not the "proper forum for debate" on political issues. [Lithwick, Dahlia. (February 6, 2003). " [http://www.slate.com/id/2078247/ Poetic Licenses] ." "Slate." Retrieved June 23, 2007.] While campaigning for the governorship later in 1998, Jeb Bush stated that, if elected, he would pass the legislation. Choose Life, Inc. went forward with the plate application again, and, after passing both houses, Governor Bush signed it into law on June 8, 1999. [" [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_19991124/ai_n10558203 Florida approves `Choose Life' license plate] ." (Nov 24, 1999). "The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel." Retrieved June 23, 2007.] [Olszonowicz, Deborah. (September 1999). [http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/tranrm_p.htm Motor Vehicle Registration and License Plates] . Retrieved June 23, 2007.] Since then, Choose Life, Inc. has been active in helping groups in other states pursue "Choose Life" license plates. [Burge, Kathleen. (May 5, 2006). " [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/05/05/driving_force/ Driving force] ." "Boston Globe." Retrieved June 23, 2007.] Madigan, Erin. (November 25, 2002). " [http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=15079 Choose Life Car Tags Spark Debate] ." "Stateline.org". Retrieved June 24, 2007.] 17 states currently have such plates available.Guttmacher Institute. (December 1, 2006). [http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_CLLP.pdf 'Choose Life' License Plates] . "State Policies in Brief." Retrieved January 4, 2007 ]

"Choose Life" license plates have come under criticism from pro-choice organizations, who have argued that in authorizing them, but not offering plates conveying a pro-choice message at the same time, states have carried out viewpoint discrimination. [Hurst, Sarah E. (2003). [http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/lawjournal/issues/volume64/number3/hurst.pdf A One Way Street to Unconstitutionality: The “Choose Life” Specialty License Plate] . "Ohio State Law Journal, 64 (3)", 957-998. Retrieved June 24, 2007.] [The Center for Reproductive Rights. (August 2002). [http://www.reproductiverights.org/pub_fac_licplates.html "Choose Life" License Plates] . Retrieved June 24, 2007.] To this charge Russ Amerling, Choose Life, Inc.'s publicity coordinator, has replied, " [pro-choice groups] have just as much right to have a plate as we do, as long as they go through the administrative process we did".

Choose Life, Inc. is a non-profit organization, funded by donations and the sale of promotional items, such as t-shirts and neckties. In Florida, a specialty license plate costs US$20 per year, with proceeds being distributed to organizations that provide adoption services to women with unplanned pregnancies.

References

External links

* [http://www.choose-life.org Choose-Life.org]
* [http://www.chooselifemissouri.org Choose Life of Missouri, Inc.]
* [http://www.machoose-life.org Massachusetts Choose Life, Inc.]