License plates drawing attention to Minnesota’s "critical habitat" have been a worthwhile venture.

Friday, April 27, 2001

License plates drawing attention to Minnesota’s "critical habitat" have been a worthwhile venture. They’re both decorative and a portion of the sales goes to assist the Department of Natural Resources in its conservation efforts.

But there is a significant difference between giving individuals a chance to support preservation and protection of wildlife habitat, and peddling plates with a political message.

We refer to a proposal to offer plates with the proclamation, "Choose Life." The measure, authored by Rep. Don Samuelson, DFL-Brainerd, would allow motorists to pay an extra fee to buy plates with a crayonlike image of two children and the accompanying phrase. The extra fee would go toward programs that help women facing unplanned pregnancies consider placing their babies for adoption. Groups that counsel women about or perform abortions wouldn’t be eligible for the money.

Our objection has nothing to do with where we stand on the abortion debate, but it has everything to do with where that debate should be carried out. The legislative hallways, and not vehicle license plates, are the proper forum.

This measure is all about politics, despite contentions that the message simply urges pregnant women who aren’t ready to care for a baby to consider adoption. Don’t let the supporters try to convince otherwise.

Look no further than a question posed to the bill’s author. When asked to consider changing the message to "Choose Adoption," Samuelson flatly rejected the idea. It’s also no coincidence that Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the state’s premier anti-abortion lobbyist, is one of the staunchest supporters of the bill.

It doesn’t take long to see where this bill, if passed, would lead. Soon other special interests would take their cases to the Capitol, and it would be extremely difficult for lawmakers to reject other requests. The "land of 10,000 lakes" would be transformed into the "land of 10,000 plates."