My friend Laura sent me
this http://www.indystar.com/...
article from the Indianapolis Star that reports that the state of Indiana has approved "choose life" to be among the state's license plates for special interests.
From the article:
Opposing abortion will be more than an ethical or political statement in Indiana next year; it will be a license plate motto, too.
Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Joel Silverman has approved a "Choose Life" license plate, making Indiana the 14th state to offer a state-approved anti-abortion plate for cars.
The Indiana Association of Pregnancy Centers petitioned for the plates, which will be available to the public in January. Some money from the sale of each plate will go to support the group's nearly 100 centers.
Dan Steiner, president of the anti-abortion association, said the purpose behind the plates is to promote "an express consciousness of the unborn in our state, making this issue alive in the minds of the public."
Hmm...I wonder if they will have pictures of living or aborted fetuses on the new plates?
Indiana has more than 60 specialty plates, including ones for the environment, education, colleges, veterans and the Indianapolis Colts.
I have a "Hoosier Safety" plate that features drawing of a pretty cardinal. The environmental plates are nice and it's nice to see the Colts plates on the SUVs of people who I presume to be GOP, but it's nice to see them supporting a local enterprise.
They can be established in two ways: administratively, as Silverman did for the anti-abortion plates, or through a vote of the Indiana General Assembly.
Applicants who choose the BMV process must obtain the signatures of at least 500 people. Supporters of the anti-abortion plates submitted more than 1,000 signatures, officials said.
Jim Bopp, a Terre Haute attorney whose clients include the pregnancy center association, said the group failed in past years to get the legislature to approve the "Choose Life" plate -- in part, he said, because lawmakers did not want to add new specialty plates of any kind.
Daniels' election in 2004, Bopp said, changed the strategy.
"When we got a pro-life governor, the option of pursuing it through the administrative process was presented," Bopp said.
Bopp said the plate is consistent with Indiana laws that encourage childbirth over abortion.
"Yes, since, Daniels is against choice, we knew we could get our fundie plate approved."
Greg Cook, spokesman for the BMV, said Silverman was not endorsing the group by granting its petition. He said that if a group favoring abortion rights applied for a plate and met the agency's criteria, that request would be considered, "absolutely."
But Silverman, he said, has discretion to reject applications for specialty license plates -- and has done so.
"It's not a political decision to accept or turn down any kind of special plate, but we will reject any new specialty plate that does not fit into our agenda."
It's sometimes frustrating to live in Indiana. It's not as bad as many of you may think, but sometimes, it makes me want to scream!!