Tennessee Choose Life Plate Orders Ahead of Schedule
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 18, 2003
Nashville, TN (LifeNews.com) — Orders for Choose Life license plates in Tennessee are coming in at a rapid rate and ahead of schedule. This is contrary to predictions made by abortion advocacy groups who said Tennessee residents wouldn’t be interested in them.
Despite efforts by the pro-abortion ACLU, orders for the plates are arriving quickly.
"We’re well on our way to meeting our goal and are pleased with the positive response so far," Brian Harris, president of Tennessee Right to Life, told LifeNews.com. "We fully expect to present the needed applications — and more — before the state’s deadline."
The Tennessee House approved the plate 80-14 and it passed 28-0 in the Senate despite heated opposition from pro-abortion legislators and groups.
However, getting the plate bill to the House and Senate floors for votes was the hard part.
"Considering the difficulty in moving this plate through legislative committees, we hope that pro-life Tennesseans will take this opportunity to demonstrate broad public support for practical, pro-life alternatives to abortion," said Karen Brukardt, legislative liaison for Tennessee Right to Life
As with other specialty license plates in Tennessee, the sponsoring organization has twelve months to present 1,000 applications and $35,000 to the Department of Safety. Plates will be manufactured and available six to twelve months following submittal of the applications.
First priority will be given to those who have paid the $35 fee to New Life Resources, the sponsor of the Choose Life plate. The group is an outreach of Tennessee Right to Life and provides resources to women and families facing difficult pregnancies. The organization also operates the New Life Thrift Store in Nashville with all proceeds
benefiting pro-life work.
"New Life has a proven track record of helping women and building relationships with pro-life social service providers in our communities," Harris said. The agency is a member of the Middle Tennessee Adoption Coalition.
New Life Resources will receive fifty percent of the proceeds from the plate. The group plans to fund a public awareness campaign disburse money to other groups that help women in various pregnancy situations.
Plate applications are available by calling toll free 1-877-CHOOSE LIFE (1-877-246-6735) or by email at [email protected].
