ORLANDO -- The proposed Hispanic Achievers license plates were not approved by the state and now the group pushing the plates has filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida.

The Daytona Beach News Journal reported the federal lawsuit was filed Thursday.  The group said the decision was unconstitutional and discriminatory.

One design shows a Spanish galleon and the words “Hispanics Discovered Florida.”

The group pushing the plates said Florida is violating its freedom of speech since the state requires a random survey rather than focusing on Hispanic residents who may want the license plate.

However, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said the department does not have the authority to grant exemptions to the statewide random sample rule.

State attorneys said the ruling is “neutral and nondiscriminatory.”