Governor Rick Snyder has vetoed a bill to create a “choose life” license plate.
The plate would have raised money for an anti-abortion group.
Part of the fees for the “choose life” plate would have gone to the group Right to Life of Michigan. In his veto letter, the governor said the plate delivers a blatantly political message that would bitterly divide people.
Anna Heaton is the governor’s press secretary.
“The governor didn’t think it was appropriate to have something like this being issued by state government.”
“There’s a Supreme Court decision that says once the government issues a license plate, it is codified as government speech, and so the governor didn’t think it was appropriate on an issue that’s so divisive.”
Ed Rivet of Right to Life says the group intends to try again after a new governor is elected in 2018.
“We’re very disappointed. We think this bill would have done a lot of good for women in need, and it’s disappointing that that support’s not going to be there.”
In his veto letter, the governor said the message would be “bitterly divisive” and not appropriate for a state-issued license plate.