January is Declared Choose Life License Plate Month

Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship
Press Release Contact: Bobbie Meyer, State Director
January 5, 2011 Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship
Contact info: 704.281.8631
For Immediate Release

January is declared Choose Life License Plate Month.

The Carolina Care Pregnancy Care Fellowship (CPCF) announces that January as been designated as Choose Life License Plate Month. The Choose Life license plate is a specialty license plate approved in 26 states that has raised over $13.6 million dollars to help pregnancy care centers, maternity homes and adoption agencies. In advance of the opening of the new session of the General Assembly, CPCF along with its coalition members have given January special designation to highlight their determination to keep pressing for the plate. For eight years, the legislation for the choose life place has been denied a vote even though more than 130 other specialty plates have been approved. The Pro-Life community is hopeful that the new legislature will be more responsive to their request for the plate.

The 2009 session of the General Assembly saw the number of sponsors rise from 12 representatives in the House to 38. According to Bobbie Meyer, State Director of the CPCF, “This year we hope to receive approval from committee chairs and reach the threshold of a supermajority in each chamber, 30 Senators and 72 Representatives. Our coalition members will be at the General Assembly for the filing of the bill to convince legislators that we have a need for this bill.”

Funds from these plates would be dedicated to pregnancy care centers in North Carolina who are working tirelessly to offer expectant mothers the support and resources they need. There are currently 80 pregnancy care centers that served over 30,000 women in North Carolina last year alone. North Carolina’s pregnancy care centers offer information, emotional support and practical help to thousands of women who face the challenges of unexpected pregnancies. The centers offer a variety of free services from pregnancy tests to parenting classes, baby supplies, to ultrasounds and STD testing by medical personnel. Each plate sold will provide $15 toward assisting these centers to offer services, all at no cost to taxpayers.

With the change in the legislature, CPCF is hopeful that the General Assembly of North Carolina will now give us the right to purchase a voluntary specialty license plate that will benefit our families. North Carolina is the only state in the Southeast that prohibits the sale of the Choose Life plate. CPCF believes our new North Carolina Choose Life license plate will be a positive addition to our wonderful state and contribute to the well-being of the youngest generation of citizens. See also www.ncchoose-life.org.

This new determined effort is being supported and planned by Rep. Mitch Gillespie, sponsor of the Choose Life plate legislation; the Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship; NC Right to Life; the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh; Russ Amerling, National Director of Choose Life license plates; The North Carolina Family Policy Council; Civitas NC; The Christian Action League; and NC Pro-Life Democrats.