Virginia Senate Approves Bill To Create 'Trust Women. Respect Choice.' License Plates

The Virginia Senate on Tuesday voted 26-8 to approve a bill (SB 18) that would create a specialty license plate with the message, "Trust Women. Respect Choice," and direct a portion of the revenue to the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, the Washington Post reports. The bill also would approve other specialty license plates (Helderman/Kunkle, Washington Post, 2/17).

According to AP/NBC29, after the first 1,000 plates have been sold, $15 from each $25 application fee would go to VLPP. Under state law, VLPP was required to pre-sell at least 350 of the plates (AP/NBC29, 2/16). State Sen. Janet Howell (D), who proposed the plate, said 400 state residents have already paid for the plates with the understanding that a part of their money would go to VLPP.

The Post reports that at Howell's recommendation, the state Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. Mark Obenshain (R) that would have revised the measure to allow the creation of the plates without distributing money to VLPP. Obenshain's amendment resembled language approved in the House version of the bill (HB 1108) that would allocate a portion of the money to services for pregnant women.

VLPP has said none of the money it receives from the new plates will be used for abortion. Obenshain said, "Money is fungible. Talk is cheap. It's easy to make that kind of promise."

Howell said that VLPP has complied with all rules governing the license plate program. She added that rejecting a plate supporting abortion rights could raise questions about the constitutionality of an existing state plate with a "Choose Life" message (Washington Post, 2/17).


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