In May of 2011, Texas approved the sale of those charming "Choose Life" license plates, featuring precocious, blue-haired crayon kids. Fork $30 over and everyone on the Mixmaster (the best-named highway interchange ever) knows where you stand on abortion. Of that, $22 go to "qualified organizations who provide counseling and material assistance to pregnant women who are considering placing their children for adoption," according to Texas' Vehicle Title and Registration Services.
Except it doesn't. It just sits there, in the office of Attorney General Greg Abbott. That's because no one has gotten around to determining exactly which "qualified organization" should get the $22. Until now, at least. Abbott just announced the "Choose Life Advisory Committee" to choose which organizations get the money from sales of the license plates.
So where will the money be going? To adoption services? To help young mothers who decided against abortion raise their children? No, it will all be going to crisis pregnancy centers, to counsel more women not to get abortions, no matter what the circumstances. The "bipartisan" committee (the lone Democrat is a board member of Democrats for Life of America) includes several members who have worked at or founded crisis pregnancy centers.
Unfortunately, it looks like this charity money will be going to shame women into having more children, rather then helping the ones already here.
[Image via Attorney General Greg Abbott]