What is it about God and license plates?

A judge recently dismissed the case brought against the state by the American Civil Liberties Union for a policy that didn't charge specialty plate fees for the "In God We Trust" license plate the legislature authorized in 2006.  Over 1.6 million Hoosiers currently have the plate, which was cited in the ruling that determined these plates are treated as the standard plate and therefore could be distributed without the additional fee that specialty plates typically require.

This is why people hate the ACLU.  The bill in Indiana had a bazillion coauthors and received bipartisan support and only drew opposition from Phil Hoy and Matt Pierce, the two most liberal members of the General Assembly.  It's clearly enormously popular among Hoosier motorists given the sheer volume of the plates on cars.  Even so, it took two full years to finally put this issue to rest, unless of course it's appealed in which case it's still far from finished.  Well, if you thought this was needlessly controversial, just take a look at what the legislature in Florida is proposing:

Florida drivers can order more than 100 specialty license plates celebrating everything from manatees to the Miami Heat, but one now under consideration would be the first in the nation to explicitly promote a specific religion.

The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe."

Rep. Edward Bullard, the plate's sponsor, said people who "believe in their college or university" or "believe in their football team" already have license plates they can buy. The new design is a chance for others to put a tag on their cars with "something they believe in," he said.

If the plate is approved, Florida would become the first state to have a license plate featuring a religious symbol that's not part of a college logo. Approval would almost certainly face a court challenge. - The Associated Press

Ya think?