Purchase of the license plate is voluntary.
Via AZ Central:
When Arizonans buy a license plate displaying the words “In God We Trust,” they are told the money promotes the motto, First Amendment rights, “and the heritage of this state and nation.”
What they may not know is the money supports Alliance Defending Freedom, a controversial group based in Scottsdale whose mission statement is “to keep the doors open for the Gospel by advocating for religious liberty, the sanctity of life, and marriage and family.”
Because of that affiliation, one Democratic lawmaker now is proposing to get rid of the “In God We Trust” specialty license plates.
ADF is designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center because of its anti-LGBT views and claims that a “homosexual agenda” will destroy society.
ADF defended its mission and responded to the call to get rid of the Arizona license plate in a written statement.[…]
The specialty “In God We Trust” license plates are among many in Arizona offered to drivers through the Department of Transportation. Like the others, the plates offer $17 of the $25 purchase price to particular causes.
Secular Coalition for Arizona, a group that opposes religion in government, requested state Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, obtain data regarding exactly where the money from the “In God We Trust” plates has been directed. ADOT only says on its website that money from the specialty plate promotes the national motto “In God We Trust,” First Amendment rights, “and the heritage of this state and nation.”
A few other plates, among dozens offered by the state through ADOT, don’t include explicit statements about what organization gets the money, though the recipient is noted in statute.
ADOT records that Alliance Defending Freedom has received more than $900,000 from the specialty plates since 2014.
“We were appalled by it,” said Tory Roberg, the director of government affairs for the Secular Coalition for Arizona. “People really need to know where their money is going.”
She said she did not know anyone who has the plate on their vehicle.