(RALEIGH) -- In December, a U.S. District Court ruled that the North Carolina could not offer a Choose Life license plate in the absence of a pro-choice plate, calling it a violation of the First Amendment.

The state announced on Friday that it would appeal the decision. Chris Brooks, legal director of the ACLU of North Carolina, says existing precedents support the December ruling:

"They've argued all along that this is government speech and therefore viewpoint discrimination is permissible."

In 2011 the State General Assembly passed a bill authorizing a “Choose Life” license plate but refused to authorize a plate that supported the converse position in favor of reproductive freedom.