Currently, twenty-plus states offer versions of "Choose Life" license plates, the sale of which raises money for anti-choice groups and "crisis pregnancy centers."
Virginia is one of those states and so it stood to reason that choice activists would press the state to offer a "Trust Women/Respect Choice" license plate for sale which would support organizations that offer reproductive health services.
Both Gov. Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli both opposed any effort to send money from such license plates to Planned Parenthood, and now it looks like Virginia legislators have stepped in to make sure that it nevers happens:
In what pro-life advocates are hailing as a brilliant legislative move, Virginia lawmakers stripped Planned Parenthood funding from its own bill to sponsor pro-abortion license plates. The plate bill now sends the proceeds from sales of the plate to a state fund that actually helps pregnant women.
Money generated from the sales of the “Trust Women, Respect Choice" license plates was intended to go to the Planned Parenthood abortion business.
When Democrat Delegate Robert Brink’s brought up the bill, on the House floor in preparation for today's final vote, the legislation said the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood would receive $15 of the $25 plate fee.
In an interesting turn of events, Delegate Todd Gilbert, a Republican, offered an amendment to the bill to change it so all funding would go to the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund -- a move that the pro-life Family Forum group describes as a devastating blow to Planned Parenthood.
The Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund was created in 2007 to “support women and families who are facing unplanned pregnancy” and is managed by the Virginia Board of Health. The goals are far different from Planned Parenthood's abortion agenda as it provides funding for ultrasound machines, parenting programs, and other support.
So if you buy the state's "Choose Life" license plate, a portion of the fee goes to support anti-choice pregnancy centers in the state.
And if you eventually purchase a "Respect Choice" plate, a portion of that fee goes to a fund that does pretty much the exact same thing and in no way actually supports choice at all.
