UPDATE: Virginia Gets Closer to Creating Pro-Choice License Plate

Virginia's General Assembly is inching towards passage of legislation that would approve the creation of a pro-choice specialty license plate, making it the fourth state with a pro-choice design and the first created that required legislative approval.

The House bill for the creation of the "Trust Women: Respect Choice" license plate was voted out of the House Transportation Subcommittee in a 15-6 bipartisan vote Thursday morning, clearing the first hurdle for a general floor vote.

According to Emily Polak, political and field associate on the Senate side at NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia, the transportation committee is voting on the plate as part of the license plate omnibus bill - which includes other designs such as "In God We Trust," "Free Lunch Program," and a few others.  She said NARAL is hopeful it will be passed out of the transportation committee later this afternoon.

If the plate is approved $15 of the $25 purchase price will go to Planned Parenthood once the first 1,000 plates are purchased. Recently, there was grumbling by Republican lawmakers, who say their issue isn't the message of what's on the plate, but who was benefitting financially. Money from the sale of the plate will go to Planned Parenthood, who has said they will use money to provide prevention services such as annual gynecological exams, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and follow-up care. The money will not be used to provide abortion-related services. 

The state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli told the Associated Press that the issue, "It isn't the plate, it's where the money goes."

Cuccinelli said he was prepared to defend the state if lawmakers strike down the plate. Both he and Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell said lawmakers could avoid a clash by ensuring the bill doesn't allocate any money from plate sales to Planned Parenthood.

The ACLU of Virginia has threatened to sue if the state does not allow for the creation of the plate, calling it a First Amendment issue if lawmakers do not allow for parity of viewpoints. In 2009, the state voted to allow production of "Choose Life" license plate, whose money is funneled to crisis pregnancy centers. 

Polak said at the House transportation committee hearing there were several conversations regarding where the funding would go, including one suggestion by Delegate Scott Garrett (R-23rd) that the money from these plates should not go to Planned Parenthood but instead to the Pregnant Woman Protection Fund, which was created last year as a funding pool for different resources.

However, as the bill was voted out of the committee it was not modified significantly. Changes could still be made before voting by the full House.

"We're excited that the Trust Women: Respect Choice license plate has made it out of the House Transportation committee with a strong bi-partisan vote of support," Pollak said. "However, the conversation will continue once it reaches the floor of the House. We don't want this license plate and its pro-prevention funding stream turned into an anti-choice or anti-prevention monetary allocation."

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m. EST: Emily Polak reports that the Senate omnibus license plate bill just passed the Senate transportation committee and is headed for a full vote.