JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Four words on Mississippi’s license plates have sparked a federal lawsuit.
American Atheists, the Mississippi Humanist Association and three nonreligious state residents filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the state over its “In God We Trust” license plate.
The complaint accuses the Mississippi Commissioner of Revenue of violating the people’s freedom of speech and religion by forcing them to display the religious message on their personal vehicles.
The license plate has included “In God We Trust” since 2019. The lawsuit claims that car owners are forced to promote the religious statement or pay an additional fee for a specialty plate without it.
Gov. Tate Reeves, in a statement on Twitter, said he plans to defend the state's values.
