First Amendment
Lawsuit Seeks to Bar South Carolina’s ‘I Believe’ License Plates
A legal group is seeking an injunction to bar production of license plates in South Carolina that feature a cross and the phrase “I believe.”
Americans United for Separation of Church and State contends the license plates are unconstitutional, the New York Times reports. The group’s executive director, Barry Lynn, told the Times that approval of the plate was “a clear signal that Christianity is the preferred religion of South Carolina.”
The group filed suit on behalf of several clergy members and a Hindu group.
South Carolina legislators passed a bill in May making the plates available to drivers who want them. No organization will benefit from the sales, unlike sponsors of other specialty plates such as the Boy Scouts and colleges.
