Vt. won’t appeal religious vanity plate decision

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont man will be able to get a license plate that refers to a famous passage from the Bible’s New Testament.

The state decided earlier this week to settle a lawsuit filed by Shawn Byrne of West Rutland. The Department of Motor Vehicles rejected his vanity plate request because it violated a policy prohibiting religious slogans on plates.

The settlement means Byrne can order a license plate that reads “JN36TN,” a reference to the often-quoted Bible verse John 3:16.

In October, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York overruled a federal court in Vermont and said the ban was unconstitutional.

Vermont Assistant Attorney General Bridget Asay says the state won’t appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court because the chances of success are slim.