FamilyFoundationBlog.com

Governor Tim Kaine today signed into law legislation that provides for the creation of a “Choose Life” license plate!

Thank you to everyone who contacted the Governor and urged his support of this bill! Thanks also to Senator Ken Cuccinelli (R-37, Fairfax) for his tremendous leadership in maneuvering this bill through the General Assembly.

Since the fall of last year, pro-life Virginians through several organizations have rallied around the Choose Life plate, acquiring pre-paid applications required by DMV to be able to get the plates created, petition signatures and grassroots support. While Senator Cuccinelli’s original bill was killed in a Senate committee, he deftly amended an omnibus license plate bill on the Senate floor with the Choose Life plate, winning by a single vote (20-19). 

Proceeds from the purchase of the plates will go to support pregnancy resource centers. These facilities offer medical, spiritual and physical support to women and families in crisis pregnancy. 

Despite an all out assault by Planned Parenthood, NARAL Virginia and the ACLU, the Governor chose to dismiss the fallacious arguments of opponents and signed the bill into law.

Last month, the House of Delegates approved budget provisions prohibiting state funding of abortions and research that requires either a human embryo to be destroyed or a baby to be aborted. Although the Senate’s version of the budget did not include these items, the full Senate voted on February 27 to remove more than $200,000 in state funds that had been designated for Planned Parenthood of Virginia, the state affiliate of the nation’s largest abortion provider.

Although all three of these provisions were considered by the budget conferees, none of them were included in their final report.

According to data from the Virginia Department of Health and the Department of Medical Assistance Services, state taxpayers have subsidized 322 abortions — almost one every two days — over the last two fiscal years.