This is a basic issue of freedom of speech and fairness. It is a fundamental tenet of the First Amendment that the State cannot use its authority to promote one side of a debate while denying the same opportunity to the other side. Anyone who supports freedom of speech should agree with this stance, regardless of one's position on abortion. Our position would be the same if the State had authorized a pro-choice license plate but not an anti-choice alternative. In that situation, the ACLU-NCLF would be suing on behalf of anti-choice drivers under the exact same theory of viewpoint discrimination.

In addition to the pro-life license plate law, the North Carolina General Assembly also passed legislation [HB 854 materials] in June that would require a 24-hour waiting period before receiving an abortion [JURIST news archive]. The "Woman's Right to Know Act" also requires women seeking an abortion to view an ultrasound of the fetus prior to the procedure. North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue [official website] vetoed [JURIST report] the legislation calling it "a dangerous intrusion into the confidential relationship that exists between women and their doctors." In July, however, both the House and Senate [JURIST reports] voted to override the veto, allowing the legislation to become North Carolina law. Opponents of the law have called it "draconian" and have stated that women seeking abortions will face dramatic changes once the law takes effect, while supporters contend that the new law will give women the opportunity to "know all the facts" about abortion.