Eric Zorn and I have continued the conversation on Choose Life license plates on his blog, which led to an important point.

Zorn said:

The argument against your proposed plate — again an argument I do not buy — is not that it’s one too many plates, but that it contains too much self expression and implies an endorsement of your cause by the state. So your point is that Franks felt that he could help the state’s legal case and/or justify denying "Choose Life" by denying less controversial plates, even though this idea clearly makes no sense. Well, as you say, if you say so.

Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. 

No one expected us to sue.  They expected us to either go away or continue to futilely introduce bills.

To cover himself later, Franks tried to argue Choose Life was the plate that broke the camel’s back, when he decided on behalf of the General Assembly through his State Government Committee, "enough!"

But the story doesn’t fly.

First, Franks’ committee approved (with his aye vote) at least one plate after he said no to Choose Life: the Universal Charity plate on 5-1-03.

Second, the Senate demonstrated blatant bias.  All specialty plates bills making it past the Rules Committee in the 93rd and 94th GA went to the Transportation Committee and received unanimous approval, except two:

1. The Jr. Professional Golfers plate, sponsored by Emil, which went to Emil’s executive committee and passed.

2. Choose Life, which went to Obama’s infamously liberal Health & Human Services committee and was held without a vote.

They screwed up, and Coar, the judge deciding the Choose Life case, caught them.  They’re going to lose if they pursue fighting this in court.

They only have two options, sink the entire specialty plates program or let Choose Life in.  We’ll see how much they hate the pro-life/pro-adoption movement.