Legislature approves ‘Choose Life’ license plate

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Legislature approved a new ‘Choose Life’ license plate in its final day of session on Thursday after compromising on how the proceeds would be distributed.

Vanity license plates cost an extra $25 per year. State law specifies that 50 percent of those additional proceeds go to the specified beneficiary, 40 percent to the State Arts Commission and 10 percent to the costs of production.

The bill approved Thursday makes the beneficiary a group called Tennessee New Life Resources, based in Nashville, and specifies the money must be distributed according to a particular formula.

The bill was controversial when the proceeds were going to New Life Resources without any strings attached because of the organization’s close ties to Tennessee Right to Life, and anti-abortion group. Many legislators did not want either side of the highly politicized abortion debate to receive what might appear to be official state sanction in the form of a license plate.

As late as Wednesday, House sponsor Rep. Glen Casada, R-College Grove, had agreed to defer the bill until next year because he didn’t think he had the votes to pass it out of the Calendar Committee. But at the urging of Rep. Phillip Pinion, D-Union City, the two worked out a compromise that would delineate exactly where the money would go, as opposed to just giving it to New Life Resources.

The amended version of the bill requires that 30 percent of the proceeds go to outreach, such as providing a guide to pregnancy resource centers across the state. An additional 35 percent has to go to statewide awareness programs, and 35 percent to direct assistance.

There is a list of 49 agencies authorized to receive shares of the direct assistance portion.

‘There was some concern over the relationship with Tennessee Right to Life and that the money could be used politically,’ Casada said. ‘That will not happen. There is an iron curtain in this bill that prevents it.’

Senate sponsor Jim Bryson, R-Franklin, said the license plate will provide help for desperate and frightened women.

‘We now have a statewide organization that will be a central point people can call,’ Bryson said. ‘It should help women find places near them that can help, and that was the whole point. This gives them somewhere to turn.’

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The bill is SB0618/HB0788.