US Supreme Court Permits Texas to Reject Confederate Flag License Plate

In a 5-4 ruling on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Texas’ refusal to issue a license plate with the Confederate flag, the Associated Press reports. Suggested Reading Lamar Odom’s New Comments About Khloé Kardashian That Have the Internet Dragging Him Prostate Cancer Is Coming for Black Men, We Are Helping It Win Why a…

In a 5-4 ruling on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Texas’ refusal to issue a license plate with the Confederate flag, the Associated Press reports.

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Justice Clarence Thomas joined the more liberal justices to form a majority. They overturned an appeals court ruling that barring the plates was a violation of free speech rights.

The high court sided with Texas officials who argued that license plates are not like bumper stickers. Unlike a bumper sticker, a license plate is government property and therefore represents government speech—not individual speech.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans filed the lawsuit when Texas refused to issue a license plate bearing its battle-flag logo. Officials believe the Confederate flag would be offensive to many other Texans.

Read more at the Associated Press

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