Move over Abe; God could get license plate

SPRINGFIELD - Drivers in Illinois are required by law to buy insurance for their vehicles. A plan allowing them to indicate their reliance on a higher power passed the Illinois House Tuesday.

Special "In God We Trust" license plates were approved by the House, 93-9. The plates will cost $20 more than standard license plates with 90 percent of the extra fee going to the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund.

"We don't want those folks over there in harm's way to worry about whether the telephone bill, their rent or other bills are going to get paid," said state Rep. Mike Boland, an East Moline Democrat. "We have helped literally thousands of Illinois families."

The new plate would join the dozens of other license plate options from the standard Lincoln plate, to police and firefighter plates, university plates and even Route 66 plates.

Indiana has a similar "In God We Trust" plate. The Illinois version will be designed by the Secretary of State's Office. Designers could omit the "Land of Lincoln" slogan to make room.

State Rep. David E. Miller, a Dolton Democrat, asked whether an "In God We Trust" plate could face lawsuits over an unconstitutional blending of church and state. But state Rep. John Bradley, a Marion Democrat and sponsor of the proposal, called such a claim "weak."

A similar proposal passed the House a year ago but was never approved by the Senate.