About 70 people showed up for a rally at the Legislative Building this morning in support of a bill to create a "Choose Life" specialty license plate that would raise money for private, non-profit adoption agencies.

"This bill has the potential to raise a lot of money for women who need it to support their pregnancies,” said Rep. Paul Stam of Apex, the House Republican leader.

Rep. Mitch Gillespie, a Marion Republican, said he has been unable to get a floor vote on his proposal, despite eight years of effort, reports Bruce Siceloff.

"It's sad we're the only southeastern state that does not have a 'Choose Life' plate," said Barbara Holt, president of N.C. Right to Life.

Some speakers said pregnant women should receive information about all their options, including abortion. Gillespie's bill would not allow money from the Choose Life plate sales to be distributed to any organization that "provides, promotes, counsels, or refers for abortion."

Both pro-choice and pro-life groups are concerned about a bill to increase the penalty for injuring a pregnant woman.

The bill, sponsored by a pro-choice Democrat and a pro-life Republican, would make it a separate felony charge to injure a woman who is more than five months pregnant.

Sean Kosofsky, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, said his group would be watching the bill "very closely." He said existing criminal statutes on assault may be adequate.

"There are concerns among advocates for women that the language in some of these bills may be a creative way to limit definitions for abortion are in our state," he said.

Meantime, Barbara Holt, executive director of N.C. Right to Life, said her group thinks any legislation should reclassify the death of an unborn child as a second murder.

"Those families who have lost an unborn child want recognition that there have been two lives lost," she said.

A pro-life group says the State Abortion Fund should be eliminated.

Barbara Holt, executive director of N.C. Right to Life, said that she wholeheartedly agrees with a budget official who recommended Gov. Beverly Perdue cut the state's fund to help poor women pay for abortions.

Though the fund has gone unused since 1995, Holt said it was an important symbol.

"Even one abortion is one too many," she said.

Holt noted that the state budget includes funding for abortion in at least two other places: the state employee health plan and a children's health insurance plan. She said those programs should be cut as well so that the state spends no money on abortions.

"We support taking any payments for abortion out of the budget," she said.