Court declines to hear case that rejected 'Choose Life' auto plates

Published: 2005-01-26

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The Supreme Court Jan. 24 declined to hear a case over whether states can offer license plates with anti-abortion slogans. Without comment, the court declined to take an appeal of a ruling that said South Carolina's program offering pro-life license plates was unconstitutional. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had said it was unconstitutional for the state to offer plates with the saying "Choose Life" because supporters of legal abortion were not given the chance to have a license plate expressing a different view. Planned Parenthood of South Carolina said in a lawsuit that the state had engaged in "viewpoint discrimination" because the program allowed only one side of the debate about abortion to have access to the license plate forum. Under a 2001 law, South Carolina began offering specialty plates for additional fees of up to $70. Among those available are special plates for fans of NASCAR racing, for support of a program for spaying and neutering pets, for nurses, and for members of some organizations.

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