Have people seen this? Florida Reveals Tasteful New License Plate

::feels intense urge to apologize to the rest of the U.S.::

Have people seen this? Florida Reveals Tasteful New License Plate

Is the design from the state or is it from a private group that pays the state to make the plate available? I don't really think there's an issue if the latter is the case as long as it is treated like any other vanity plate design.

There's a lawsuit happening now about Illinois' refusal to issue "Choose Life" plates. It'll be interesting to see what the verdict will be.

Okay, step one. I think the dog is afraid of the tile floor.

oh poor goggie. I've seen tile-floor fear on Dog Whisperer. Cesar almost didn't have the strength to force a great dane across an apartment lobby. But they all got over it eventually.

The money that you pay for the plates goes as a donation to the organization behind it in the state of florida. They also have "Choose Life", "Family First", and "Family Values" plates all of which direct money to conservative Christian groups. It does raise some questions about separation of church and state. They have to go through a state approval process before they plates and donations are set up for purchase through the DMV. Really the question is have non-christian groups had any issues getting their donations/plates approved in the state of Florida.

Really the question is have non-christian groups had any issues getting their donations/plates approved in the state of Florida.

Yeah, that's the question. Would they allow FSM plates? With money going to pirate charities?

You should apply and see [link]

With money going to pirate charities?

Be sure to specify which pirate charities. I'm sure there are worthy Classic Pirate recreationists about.

The NYT just had a sidebar on Monday about the vanity plate questions that might go before the Supreme Court: [link]

Illinois says it should be allowed to decide what goes on its license plates because they convey government rather than private speech. If that is right, the First Amendment drops out of the equation, as the government is free to say what it likes.

But most of the appeals courts to consider “Choose Life” license plates have ruled that specialty plates convey the positions of the motorists involved. The appeals court in Chicago, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, ruled against Illinois on this point. Specialty plates, the court said, are “mobile billboards” for “organizations and like-minded vehicle owners.”

But a Supreme Court decision in February, Pleasant Grove City v. Summum, may have complicated matters. The court ruled that a Utah city did not have to allow a minor religion to erect a monument to its Seven Aphorisms near a Ten Commandments monument in a public park, which for many purposes is a classic public forum open to all sorts of viewpoints.

The court acknowledged that the government could not discriminate among speakers in the park and among people handing out leaflets there. But permanent monuments, whether donated by private groups or commissioned by the government, are different, the court said. They are government speech.