The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
The House of Delegates gave preliminary approval Monday to a special license plate promoting abortion rights, but voted to deny any of the proceeds to the sponsoring organization.
Del. Robert Brink’s bill, HB1108, would authorize a plate with the message “Trust Women/Respect Choice.” As submitted, the measure would have directed a portion of the proceeds to the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood for women’s health services.
As amended on the House floor by Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, the bill instead directs the money to the Virginia Pregnant Women Support Fund, a fund administered by the state Board of Health to support women facing unplanned pregnancies. Gilbert’s amendment was adopted 56-39.
Brink, D-Arlington County, said Gilbert was unfairly punishing an organization that followed the proper procedures for sponsoring a special plate, including collecting at least 350 signatures on a petition. No other organization has been treated that way, he said.
“We’re going to keep working to see that this group gets equal treatment with all the others,” Brink said.
The bill will be up for final House passage today. A similar bill, SB704, is pending in the Senate.
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Vaporware?
I understand that the proposed destination for the plate revenue doesn't actually exist. Does that mean it would go into the general fund instead of the organization that sponsored it?
So is the point Free Speech or Raising Money?
Furthermore, is Planned Parenthood about "helping women" as they claim, or about making money? They make huge profits from the baby killing business and are the nation's biggest abortion provider, whereas pro-life centers are almost universally volunteer organizations which provide services free or at very low cost.
Planned Parenthood not only wants money from abortion clients, they want taxpayers compelled to give their dollars too, whether they support baby killing or not. They already get huge amounts of federal funds, though supposedly not for abortion (that merely allows them to shift funds around and use other funds on abortion). Contrast that with pro-life groups who are supported solely by donations from those who believe in the cause.
Diversion
People seem to forget that this is about diverting the funds from the plate away from the people who sponsored them. Not about the right or wrong of the message. That has been discussed, sliced and diced in numerous other topics. The only thing in question here is the legality of diverting funds from the people who sponsored the plate, NOT the subject of the plates themselves.
Brinks whats wrong with politics
Brinks amendment shows what is wrong with politics today. "Truth, Justice, and the American way, are no longer operational. He will do everything in his power to force his biases on other people. Equal rights for all extends only to all his friends. If he can divert money from special plates, then all special plates are in danger. Bay plats money can go to Omega Foods, Lighthouse plates can go Lighthouse Church. Rights Right and wrongs wrong, unledd you are a republican doing gods work.
Typical
As usual, the Grumpy Old Politicos, who insist that the government should stay out of the people's personal business, insist on getting their long noses into the people's personal business. Personally, I think that the whole idea of our legislators wasting their time and our money on personal vendettas is criminal. They are NOT doing the job for which they were elected. If they get the budget, the roads, and the other major problems for which they were elected out of the way first, then maybe they can delve into the "I Love Me" type of feel-good legislative mickey-mouse things they seem so fond of.
Check the website and see just how many bills in the session are of the non-essential kind, and how many are actually aimed at doing something constructive for the Commonwealth
New Plate
Wouldn't it be refreshing if the group would just be up front and honest and go with a slogan like "Hey, We Mutilate and Kill Babies" ?
that fits the mythical pro-life movement
The supposed pro-life that does not mind killing live babies because they are an inconvenience to the state.
this plate may offend some
If I see a vanity plate that offends me, I can report it to the state and they may recall it. What happens when I am offended by special interest plates (in general)?
Wait just a minute...
Planned Parenthood is sponsoring the "Respect Choice" plates, and yet Del. Gilbert (a Republican - what a surprise) wants to deny them the funds from their own plates? People have ordered these plates with the understanding that the funds will go to help support PP in providing non-abortion services like prenatal care, birth control, and health screenings (i.e., pap smears and breast exams) for low-income women, many of whom would otherwise have no access to such care. To decide that the money should go instead to what is basically another "pro-life" fund is a bait-and-switch intended to stall production of the "Respect Choice" plates. Is Del. Gilbert willing to divert funds from any other specialty plate such as the homeschooling or "Choose Life" plates to the VPWSF other organizations? I'm guessing not, which proves that his real intention is to undermine and punish Planned Parenthood.
Get out of the personalized license plate business
Our legislators should be spending their time on more important issues.