Tennessee Lawmakers Want “In God We Trust” On License Plates

Image by TN.com

By Shira Hanau March 30, 2017

Tennessee lawmakers want to add the phrase “In God We Trust” to Tennessee license plates, but the state attorney general calls the bill “constitutionally suspect” in a legal opinion, according to The Tennesseean.

The bill, proposed by Representatives Bill Sanderson and Paul Bailey, would require all Tennessee license plates to carry the phrase. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III issued a legal opinion on the bill, saying it would violate the constitutions of the United States and Tennessee. He noted that giving drivers the option to get a plate with the phrase on it would be “constitutionally defensible.”

The change to the license plates would cost the state just under $20 million, according to a fiscal note on the bill.

Contact Shira Hanau at hanau@forward.com

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