Florida Cars May Soon Encourage People to
"Choose Life" through Adoption

By Liz Townsend

Florida pro-lifers may soon be able to proclaim their commitment to life and contribute to organizations that support adoption by buying a special license plate. The proposed plate has a drawing of two smiling children with the words "Choose Life" on a bright yellow background. Proceeds from the sale of the plate will go directly to organizations that promote and assist in adoptions.

The legislature approved the license plate despite a media- driven controversy based on pro-abortionists' unsupported assertions that the plate was a veiled attempt by pro-lifers to insinuate their views into a state-supported program. "This tag is about adoption," said Lynda Bell, president of Florida Right to Life. "Adoption is always the loving option and should be supported by all."

At press time, Governor Lawton Chiles has not yet announced whether he will sign the bill. Chiles is an adoptive father, but also supports abortion. "The governor needs to quickly sign this bill into law," said Bell. "This is truly a victory for adoption, and for families who want to adopt in the state of Florida."

In Florida, special license plates can be proposed if an organization submits 10,000 signatures, a $30,000 application fee,

a marketing plan, and a proposed license plate design. An organization called Choose Life, Inc., spearheaded the effort. The group raised much of the money by selling replica license plates that contributors placed on the front of their cars. (In Florida, official license plates are placed only at the back of the vehicle.) Both houses of the state legislature then must approve the proposal. The Senate voted 28-12 in favor of the license plate on April 28, and the House followed with a 77-41 vote April 29.

If approved by Gov. Chiles, the license plate would cost $20 and would be available beginning in January 1999. According to Choose Life's web site, "The money raised yearly would be returned to the county where the license plates were sold to help women with unplanned/unwanted pregnancies, who are committed to carrying the child to term and placing him or her with an adoptive family."

The "Choose Life" plate would join 41 other specialty license plates available in the state, which include ones to "Save the Manatee," to support various colleges and sports teams, and to memorialize the doomed space shuttle Challenger. The most popular plate is for the manatees, which raised $2,396,430 in 1996 alone, according to the Choose Life web page.

Adoption supporters in Florida see the plate as a great step forward in their effort to remove the negative stereotypes of adoption and encourage women in crisis pregnancies to consider an adoption plan for their babies. "I see it as a very positive step," said Christine Adamec, an adoptive mother and author of four books on adoption. "Women shouldn't see the only alternative as abortion. Many people think abortion is the easy answer, but that's not true at all."

Adamec said that education is the best way to encourage women to see adoption as a loving choice for their babies, and the "Choose Life" plate can help support adoption programs with revenue as well as more visibility. "Even pro-life people need to be better educated on the subject," she said. "I hope the license plate will exist; I plan to get one!"