The Florida Legislature may create a new license plate that features the words ''I Believe'' and the image of a cross in front of a church stained glass window. The measure is moving in both the House and Senate.
Rep. Ed Bullard, a Miami Democrat and a sponsor of the license plate, conceded that ''some people'' may find something wrong with it, but he said it was a license plate for those people who may want something other than a plate that has a manatee or picture of the Challenger space shuttle.
''That segment is a large segment of the population that can now get a tag that they like and express their beliefs,'' said Bullard.
Sen. Mike Fasano, a New Port Richey Republican who is sponsoring a measure that would create four different plates, including a ''In God We Trust'' plate, said he saw no problem with letting motorists decide if they want to pay the $25 extra for the ''I Believe'' plate.
''That's that the option of every driver who owns a vehicle,'' said Fasano. ``They can decide if they want to have a license plate with a cross in front of a stained-glass window. It's not different from choosing a Choose Life license plate or a manatee license pate or a Florida State University or University of Florida license plate.''
Florida has dozens of license plates that include images of sports teams, animals, wildflowers. The Republican-led Legislature in 1999 also authorized a license plate with the words ''Choose Life'' on it that drew lawsuits from groups that said the plate conveyed a religious message.
The extra money earned from the sale of the ''I Believe'' license plate would go to an Orlando based non profit called Faith in Teaching Inc. that says on its website that money from the plates would be used for grants to ``continue faith based education for the youth of Florida.''
