Posted on 12/05/2014 12:28:05 PM PST by GIdget2004
The Supreme Court is taking on a free speech case over a proposed license plate in Texas that would feature the Confederate battle flag.
The case involves the government's ability to choose among the political messages it allows drivers to display on state-issued license plates.
The justices said Friday they will review a lower court ruling in favor of the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The group is seeking a specialty plate with its logo bearing the battle flag, similar to plates issued by several other states that were part of the Confederacy.
The case will be argued in March.
A state motor vehicle board rejected the application because of concerns the Confederate flag would offend many Texans who believe the flag is a racially charged symbol of repression. But a panel of federal appeals court judges ruled that the board's decision violated the group's First Amendment rights.
Texas offers more than 350 specialty plates, the group said in its court filing. They include plates that say "Choose Life," ''God Bless Texas," ''Fight Terrorism," as well as others in support of Boy Scouts, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, blood donations, pro sports teams and colleges.
The state said in its Supreme Court appeal that the decision to reject the Sons of Confederate Veterans' license plate was not discrimination because the motor vehicle board had not approved a license plate expressing any view about the Confederacy or the battle flag.
Other federal appeals courts have come to differing conclusions on the issue, the state said.
(Excerpt) Read more at bigstory.ap.org ...
Ratified by whom? Those elected or those imposed by fiat via the reconstruction act?
No, the feds are involved because a lower court told Texas they were wrong to reject the plate and Texas has appealed.
Thank you for the correction. I read it wrong.
Actually, the 14th Amendment itself did not do all that on its own.
A “progressive” supreme court DECIDED that the 14th amendment did all that.
I venture to guess that many states would not have ratified it if they had known what the democrats were going to do with it.
I hope you don't call yourself a conservative with that keyboard.
>>The South fought a war of rebellion against the United States government and lost.<<
Good grief man, do your homework.
Let’s see. A group of southern cadets fired on a Union ship supplying Ft. Sumter. Then the Confederate army fired on Ft. Sumter. Then Lee invaded the North at Bull Run. The South calls it that because the North acted aggressively when Lincoln wanted to preserve the Union. Got it.
Malarkey!
Once a state government starts allowing "special" license plates with logos from schools, non-profit organizations, political organizations, etc., they open the door to free speech issues, even as it relates to a "document" issued by the state.
Stupid.
License Plates should just be that, a Plate Number & Name of State and maybe the state’s motto and that’s it.
There should be no specialized plates, especially political ones.
If Conservatives get to put a Choose Life, God is Great or Confederate flag on their plates, then the Liberals are also going to get their Pro-Choice, God is imaginary and Gay Rainbow Flag plates
If you want to make a political statement buy a bumper sticker, the government, state or otherwise shouldn’t be involved in nonsense like this
Providing a unique identifier of vehicles involved in crimes is not a compelling argument for the state when it comes to crime. Vehicles do not commit crimes. License plates are removable. The state wants their Tax Stamp in plain sight. Even the lowly, parking citation or red light camera, screams that the purpose of license plates is to enhance revenue for the state. Where the state screwed up is when they permitted special designs (to generate more revenue), but denied some groups add space while permitting others.
Thank you for bringing that up. The 14th Amendment was not ratified under the honest application the Constitution’s Article V imo, but “ratified” by the Union as the spoils of winning the Civil War.
As I have mentioned elsewhere, the original Constitution arguably died with the Civil War, the present Constitution with its ignored Article V and 10th Amendment debatably version 2 or higher.
How could Lee “invade” a place in which he was already resident?
Just keep your ass in CA. The Sons of Confederate Veterans in Texas will have no problem with having this flag on their license plates.
They already do in many states.
With that said, I agree with you about how license plates SHOULD be issued.
This whole thing has been debated here on FR for months on end ad nauseam. I didn’t know you were a Civil War veteran still fighting it.
The annual tax stamp is the inspection sticker and license sticker (now just one) which in Texas is placed in the windshield on the driver’s side.
That same argument could be made for denying letter-number vanity plate combinations as well.
The Governor should very publicly declare that he will now sign an Executive Order declaring it perfectly fine and that the Fed has absolutely no say.
follow the leader...
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