The State of Maine has a good solution for people unhappy with their new license plate policy. I’m Amy E. Feldman.
Maine was one of the few states that didn’t require approval to get a vanity license plate, but it’s now begun to enforce rules that will eliminate f-bombs and other obscenities and revoke custom plates that have them, according to the Associated Press. The Maine Secretary of State says license plates are state property, and obscenities have no place on them. She suggests those who feel a need to engage in “questionable” speech should get a bumper sticker. But can you actually put whatever you want on a bumper sticker?
Well, bumper stickers are a form of protected speech. That said, obscenity is an exception to the first amendment, and can be regulated but courts have generally upheld citizens’ rights to use even profane or vulgar words. Still, what your lawyer would tell you and what your mother would say are different here. If your mother would wash your mouth out with soap for saying it, think about whether you really want to stick it to your car even if it’s legal.
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