NEW YORK FEDERAL COURT
ORDERS NEW YORK STATE TO APPROVE CFF'S
NEW YORK "CHOOSE LIFE" LICENSE PLATE
AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF COSTLY LITIGATION
On November 8, 2011, a Federal District Court in New York State ruled that the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles must issue CFF's "Choose Life" license plate. This decision caps seven years of legal battles in which CFF and their attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, who are legal experts in First Amendment cases, have won every legal battle in this federal lawsuit since its filing back in 2004.
We urge all New York State citizens who believe in Freedom of Speech to now contact Governor Andrew Cuomo and respectfully ask the Governor to approve the New York "Choose Life" license plate without further delay. The Governor may be reached by telephone by calling (518) 474-8390 or by email at http://www.governor.ny.gov/contact/GovernorContactForm.php. Blocking the approval of the New York"Choose Life" license plate since 2002 has put New York in the minority of states, given that a solid majority of 28 other states have already approved pro-adoption "Choose Life" plates. Last year, CFF won a similar Federal lawsuit in New Jersey's Third Circuit Court of Appeals. According to an Associated Press article, New Jersey's Motor Vehicles Commission spokesman Mike Horan explained that New Jersey decided to allow the approval of the New Jersey "Choose Life" license plate to avoid further legal expenses. In 2009, when then Governor Timothy Kaine of Virginia approved the Virginia "Choose Life" license plate, Gov. Kaine issued a statement that he was approving his state's plate "... (b)ecause Virginians -- like all Americans -- regard freedom of expression among our highest values."
We
here at CFF are very happy with this verdict along with two other verdicts in New
York courts over the years including the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals
that show very clearly the violation of The Children First Foundation's
freedom of speech. We sincerely hope that Governor Cuomo will follow New
Jersey's lead from last year and cease the senseless use of taxpayer
money to fight these cases where the state's position is clearly
unconstitutional. The DMV moratorium that has been in place for almost six years against new plates, imposed in order to stop the "Choose Life" plate, has also blocked such other plates as the "9/11 Remembrance Plate" and the "Cure Childhood Cancer" plate.
Please use this
link to see a list of the plates, numbering well over 100, that
were blocked by this moratorium in just its first two years alone,
victims of the New York State officials' desire to deprive CFF of its First Amendment rights: Plates Blocked from 2004 to 2006
The links below show a list of legislative plates vetoed by former Governor Pataki, including the "9/11 Remembrance" license plate, as an extension of the moratorium:
In this time of budgetary crises, it is time for New York's government to stop wasting taxpayer money and start earning money from the sale of popular specialty plates. We urge the approval of CFF's plate here in New York that will help promote and fund the positive choice of adoption as CFF is now doing with its plates in New Jersey and Connecticut.
For more information, please go to these press releases issued by several prominent organizations:
THE NEW JERSEY "CHOOSE LIFE"
LICENSE PLATE IS ALSO AVAILABLE!
With the help and support of our members and donors, the New Jersey "Choose Life" license plate is now finally a reality! This plate joins CFF's Connecticut "Choose Life" plate in getting the message of Life and Adoption on the road in the Tri-State area as well as raising much needed funds to help Pregnancy Resource Centers and Maternity Homes in the region. Please click on your state's link below for more information on ordering this life-giving plate: