Snyder Undecided About Approving Anti-Abortion License Plate

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - A spokeswoman for Republican Gov. Rick Snyder says he's undecided about signing legislation to require Michigan to create an anti-abortion fundraising license plate.

The Republican-led Senate enrolled the bill Tuesday after it previously won mostly party-line approval in the Legislature.

The measure would require a "Choose Life" plate to be issued by June 2018, at an initial cost of $35 per plate.

The money would go to a fund whose board is controlled by Right to Life of Michigan. The board would disperse grants to crisis pregnancy centers and other nonprofits promoting "life-affirming programs and projects."

Republican Sen. Patrick Colbeck says his bill tries to help fill the gap for mothers who have made the choice to affirm life, with funding going to support pregnancy resource centers and abortion alternatives, as well as suicide prevention services.

Senators fell short of giving the bill immediate effect, which could delay the plate's release in 2018.

If approved by Snyder, this wouldn't be the only fund-raising plate Michigan offers — with license plates available to support colleges as well as the programs like the Boy Scouts and causes including breast cancer awareness and organ donation.

However, Democratic Sen. Rebekah Warren, who opposes the bill, says it would be the first and most politically blatant license plate the state has ever had.

Colbeck counters that people have no reason to oppose the bill, because buying the plate is optional.

Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have authorized Choose Life license plates, generating more than $21 million for life-promoting activities.

 © Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.