I wonder if the way the state approves new license plates makes any difference.
In my state, Virginia, I'm pretty sure there's a Choose Life plate. But my (not terribly informed) impression is that almost any special interest group can petition to have a plate made, without implied endorsement from the state. We also have a Jimmy Buffet fan plate. While I'm not crazy about the message behind a Choose Life plate, I guess I feel more comfortable with it when I perceive it as being put out by a special interest group, no different than the various masonic plates, college plates, or the Jimmy Buffet one.
If I understand correctly, it looks like the one in North Carolina did carry a connotation of government endorsement. That, along with refusing to grant an opposing plate, is a big problem.
In my state, Virginia, I'm pretty sure there's a Choose Life plate. But my (not terribly informed) impression is that almost any special interest group can petition to have a plate made, without implied endorsement from the state. We also have a Jimmy Buffet fan plate. While I'm not crazy about the message behind a Choose Life plate, I guess I feel more comfortable with it when I perceive it as being put out by a special interest group, no different than the various masonic plates, college plates, or the Jimmy Buffet one.
If I understand correctly, it looks like the one in North Carolina did carry a connotation of government endorsement. That, along with refusing to grant an opposing plate, is a big problem.