AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Senate has voted to stop Maine car and truck owners from putting profanity on their license plates. A bill to ban obscene vanity plates passed the Senate unanimously Tuesday in its first vote.
Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Cumberland, who is sponsoring the bill, says if it received final passage and is signed into law, the state could refuse to issue certain vanity plates, and could also require people to stop using the plates they have, although there would be an appeal process.
Diamond says a number of other states have similar laws, and says Maine’s Attorney General has indicated it would not violate First Amendment rights.
The bill will need several more votes in order to pass.