Ill. 'Choose Life' License Plates Appeal Among Cases Declined By Supreme Court

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Litigation / Medical Malpractice;  Public Health
Article Date: 07 Oct 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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For at least the fifth time, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal of a federal court's decision that state motor vehicle administrations are not required to offer "Choose Life" license plates, the New York Times reports. The case was among about 2,000 the court declined to take up for its new term.

In declining to hear Choose Life Illinois v. White, the court let stand a federal appeals court ruling that Illinois state officials were within their rights not to offer the "Choose Life" plates because the state had "excluded the entire subject of abortion from its specialty plate program" and therefore was not taking sides in the abortion-rights debate (Liptak, New York Times, 10/6).

Steve Trombley, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said PPIL was pleased with the decision, adding, "License plates are not the place to have thoughtful conversation about reproductive rights" (McKinney, Chicago Sun-Times, 10/6).

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