License plates in the state of Mississippi are getting a new look.
Governor Phil Bryant announced in May that the words “In God We Trust” will be added to all default license plates issued in the state.
“I was proud to sign legislation in 2014 that added the United States National Motto, “In God We Trust,” to the Mississippi State Seal,” Bryant said on Twitter. “Today, I am equally delighted to announce that it will adorn our new Mississippi license plates.”
I was proud to sign legislation in 2014 that added the United States National Motto, “In God We Trust,” to the Mississippi State Seal. Today, I am equally delighted to announce that it will adorn our new Mississippi license plates. They will be available starting in January 2019. pic.twitter.com/VXHZ0q7Qvi
— Phil Bryant (@PhilBryantMS) May 10, 2018
The new license plates will be available beginning this month, Bryant said.
The motto “In God We Trust,” which appears on U.S. currency, has struck a nerve in recent years with proponents of separation of church and state.
The American Humanist Association condemned the move, saying it violates the Constitution.
“To display any statement on the back of one’s vehicle is to promote that statement,” said David Niose, the organization’s legal director. “The problem, obviously, is that many individuals do not believe in a God, let alone trust in him, her, or it. Thus, to create a standard license plate that displays that phrase, with no alternative at an equal cost that avoids such a statement, unconstitutionally endorses religion.”
