By Dave Andrusko
One house down, one to go. On Wednesday, the Michigan state Senate voted 26-11 to support SB 84, a bill that would authorize a “Choose Life” fundraising license plate. SB 84 had already passed the Senate Transportation Committee on March 5.
The bill now moves to the state House for consideration.
The license plate would raise funds for organizations that submit grant proposals for specific abortion prevention projects. The bill stipulates that the funds will be used to promote alternatives to abortion, including adoption, provide practical support to pregnant women, and conduct outreach to at risk populations regarding positive pregnancy options.
The funds generated by the specialty plates will be directed to the Choose Life Michigan fund whose board will then disperse the money.
According to Right to Life of Michigan, NRLC’s state affiliate,
Choose Life license plates are a common way states allow charities to help women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. More than 25 states have passed Choose Life license plate legislation including Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Michigan has allowed a wide variety of special causes to raise funds using specialty plates including Michigan’s 15 state-supported universities, the Boy Scouts of America, breast cancer awareness, lighthouse preservation, veterans’ memorial, water quality, wildlife habitat, and disaster relief through the American Red Cross and Salvation Army.
Predictably, pro-abortionists vigorously opposed the measure and/or attempted to amend it out of effectiveness. They were unsuccessful.
Following the March 5 vote in the Senate Transportation Committee, Right to Life of Michigan updated its followers. The update noted
Unfortunately, pro-abortion groups are already lying about this legislation. Planned Parenthood, the leading abortion provider in the United States, opposes this legislation and in an e-mail to supporters, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan falsely claimed “tax dollars” would be used to administer the funds from the Choose Life license plates. This claim is false. The proceeds from the sale of specialty license plates (they cost an additional $35 per year) fund the administration costs and the grants to eligible non-profits.
On the other hand, Planned Parenthood receives more than $500 million a year in government funding.
Those in favor of legal abortion often claim they are not in favor of abortion but the choice to have an abortion. Only organizations that are pro-abortion would be opposed to prolife people using their own money to buy license plates which help fund efforts to help women in unplanned pregnancies choose life. None of the funds or distribution of funds can legally prevent a woman from obtaining an abortion.
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