Jack Franks Off the “CHOOSE LIFE” License Plate Hook
As chairman of the committee to which the “Choose Life” license plate bill was assigned, Bull Valley’s State Representative Jack Franks has angered pro-lifers by refusing to allow it to reach the House floor for a vote.
He has been vulnerable to a political attack that he is against adoption, since that is where all of the money raised above the cost of the plates would go.
The proponents of the Choose Life license plates in Illinois went to court saying that they were being discriminated against.
And, in an opinion dated January 19th, Federal Judge David H. Coar, ruled in favor of the Choose Life folks and against Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
By doing so, Judge Coar has eliminated the need for legislative action on the issue, thus letting legislator Franks off the hook.
You can read the opinion, which is provided by Capitol Fax Blog.
To qualify for the issuance of the Choose Life plates, organizers have to sell 850.
Think the pro-lifers won’t be able to do that?
35,000 have signed a petition saying they want them.
And the judge had a good sense of timing, didn't he?
Posted first on McHenry County Blog.
13 comments:
"He has been vulnerable to a political attack that he is against adoption, since that is where all of the money raised above the cost of the plates would go."
According to Jill Stanek, the group in question is an anti-abortion group.
What's the real story? Who is lying here?
I don't understand your question.
Of course, the license plate people are pro-life.
When Jack Franks refused to let their bill out of committee, it angered the pro-lifers, leaving Franks open to attack for being opposed to adoption--the place where the money raised from the license plates would go.
Cal,
Are you claiming that there is no difference between "anti-abortion" and "pro-adoption"?
You must know that "pro-adoption" is an easy political position to take. Nobody is against it.
"Anti-abortion" is a more difficult position, in part because the anti-abortion movement has a high population of real extremists like Stanek, who even oppose contraception.
You've been around politics long enough to know that.
The language matters.
So, what is the story: Will money from the group be used for anti-abortion causes, as Stanek states, or will it just be used to promote adoption? Are the dollars going to be used for things like preventing the sale of condoms like the extremists are seeking to do, or will the money be used to enable orphans to find families?
skeeter, according to the organization's website:
"Funds to both encourage the adoption option and provide support for birth mothers who are considering adoption can be raised through the sale of Choose Life specialty license plates."
So, to answer your question of 9:06AM, no one is lying.
The group promotes adoption (i.e., is "pro-adoption") as an alternative to abortion (i.e., is "anti-abortion").
Does that clear things up?
Actually, it doesn't and we both know that.
There is a difference between "anti-abortion" and "promoting adoption." You know that, I know that, and everyone else in Illinois knows that. Stanek's statment has made clear that this is an anti-abortion group.
Apparently the answer to my question: "Everyone involved in the program."
That's unfortunate, given the fact that you people claim the moral high ground. That's a problem facing the right in Illinois: If you are going to claim to be moral, you must act in moral ways. That has been a real challenge for you all.
That, and showing respect for women, but that is another matter completely.
skeeter,
"There is a difference between 'anti-abortion' and 'promoting adoption.'"
Seems to me that, "everyone involved in the program" (particularly the website designers) has been quite candid about these plates promoting/promoting adoption as an alternative to abortion. Am I missing something here? If your point is that Cal should have spelled that out a bit clearer in his post, I'd suggest that it wouldn't be wildly unreasonable for him to assume that people understand this was about abortion, what with the big picture of the CHOOSE LIFE license plate there and all.
And I'm not sure what you are saying with your closing remark. Please explain.
My comments at 11:04 were directed to Cal Skinner. In haste, I had thought that the 10:36 post was a Skinner post. I stand corrected. In light of the different authorship, the post is not on point.
My bad.
skeeter,
I appreciate the apology, but, just the same, you should watch it with phrases like "you people" and "you all." How am I to know whether or not - in your opinion - I fall into whatever broad group you are slandering?
GOP,
Don't sweat it.
Cal, nice post! Maybe people are begining to snap out of it and realize that 'choice' means 'euthanize a kid.' Planned Parenhood's eighty years of
psuedointellectualism is begining to wear thin - with exception of dim-bulb, hipster doofii.
Skeeter, never a disappointment.
This won't be the only group to request specialty plates.
GOP,
My apology was directed to Skinner for assuming that your note was his. I should have known better.
skeeter,
Okay, then. If you had known I, and not Cal, was the author of the 10:36 post, what would your response have been?
I am pleased Jesse White is going to ask the Attorney general to appeal it… White's office does not think they have authority without legislative approval to create the license plates.
This was on Rich Miller's site:
(The state) argues that if the “Choose Life” message is permissible, than the state would also have to issue Ku Klux Klan or Nazi plates to avoid viewpoint discrimination. (But) the fact that speech or viewpoint is unpopular does not exempt it from First Amendment protection.
Post a Comment