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Justices rule for Texas in dispute over license plate [SCOTUS:Texas can ban confederate plates]
Austin Statesman ^ | 06/18/2015 | AP

Posted on 06/18/2015 7:34:12 AM PDT by GIdget2004

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Texas' refusal to issue a license plate bearing the Confederate battle flag, rejecting a free-speech challenge.

The court said in a 5-4 ruling that Texas can limit the content of license plates because they are state property and not the equivalent of bumper stickers.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans had sought a Texas plate bearing its logo with the battle flag. A state board rejected it over concerns that the license plate would offend many Texans.

Justice Stephen Breyer said the state's decision to reject the group's plate did not violate its free speech rights. Justice Clarence Thomas and the court's other three liberal justices joined Breyer's opinion.

State officials said there are now nearly 450 messages to choose from, from "Choose Life" to the Boy Scouts and hamburger chains.

The Texas division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans sued over the state's decision not to authorize its proposed license plate with its logo bearing the battle flag, similar to plates issued by eight other states that were members of the Confederacy and by the state of Maryland.

(Excerpt) Read more at statesman.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: scotus; texas
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The court's majority on the Texas license plate case: Breyer, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan, and Clarence Thomas
1 posted on 06/18/2015 7:34:12 AM PDT by GIdget2004
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To: GIdget2004

I was just reading this decision. Apparently, governments are also (mostly) entitled to free speech, and license plates are considered government speech.


2 posted on 06/18/2015 7:37:09 AM PDT by dware (Yeah, so? What are you going to do about it?)
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To: GIdget2004

someone remind the idiots the 1st ammendment specifically protects use of unpopular speech. Any suit with ‘offense’ driving it has no constitutional basis.


3 posted on 06/18/2015 7:40:15 AM PDT by Norm Lenhart
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To: GIdget2004

” A state board rejected it over concerns that the license plate would offend many Texans.”

“State officials said there are now nearly 450 messages to choose from, from “Choose Life”
**

These clowns already approved the lib-offensive “Choose Life” which set the precedent, and I’ll bet out of the 450, someone will throw a hissy fit. Senility has set in with these old coots.


4 posted on 06/18/2015 7:45:17 AM PDT by max americana (fired liberals in our company last election, and I laughed while they cried (true story))
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To: GIdget2004
I'm not sure I have a huge problem with this decision.I'd be much more upset if a state *did* issue such a plate and SCOTUS ruled that doing so violated the Constitution.

Perhaps Texans should be urging their legislators to pass a law allowing such plates.

5 posted on 06/18/2015 7:45:55 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Obama;America's Ambulance Chaser-In-Chief)
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To: GIdget2004

The First Amendment is a restriction on government, prohibiting government limiting the speech of citizens. Since a license plate is a government fabricated and issued item, no violation of citizen rights has occurred. Bubba’s can pick up a flag plate or decal at any truck stop.


6 posted on 06/18/2015 7:49:58 AM PDT by centurion316 (ze)
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To: GIdget2004

That’s an odd coalition.


7 posted on 06/18/2015 8:04:50 AM PDT by The people have spoken
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To: centurion316

..First Amendment is a restriction on government, prohibiting government limiting the speech...” Many people dont realize that the Amendments are all restrictions on Government action against the populace.


8 posted on 06/18/2015 8:06:44 AM PDT by Sasparilla (If you want peace, prepare for war.)
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To: Gay State Conservative

I’m with you. Texans needs to get Austin under control. This isn’t a SCOTUS issue; the Texas SCV should take this issue to the electorate.


9 posted on 06/18/2015 8:11:36 AM PDT by tgusa (gun control: hitting your target.)
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To: Sasparilla

The people, in general, are not well educated, as the Democrats have controlled the public schools for more than 40 years.


10 posted on 06/18/2015 8:15:12 AM PDT by centurion316 (ze)
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To: centurion316

Not in Texas they haven’t.


11 posted on 06/18/2015 8:22:21 AM PDT by Nero Germanicus
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To: GIdget2004

This should’ve been settled by Texas. Period.


12 posted on 06/18/2015 8:23:07 AM PDT by OriginalChristian (The end of America, as founded, began when the first Career Politician was elected...)
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To: centurion316

Exactly-—until we take back the minds of children so they don’t grow up with a Marxist worldview-—we are going down. We have to put back Classical Education (including Bible) and transmit the culture of our Founders.....where Reason and Natural Law is the basis of ALL Just Law.

Our children don’t understand Rule of Law (Higher Laws/God’s Laws) and agree with Rule of man/obama (happy slavery). Just allowing irrational, unnatural, evil, Stalin’s laws and rules and regulations and artificial environments for babies, because they are so ignorant and uneducated and hyper-sexualized, so they always “feel” everything and can’t use Reason.


13 posted on 06/18/2015 8:26:50 AM PDT by savagesusie (Right Reason According to Nature = Just Law)
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To: Gay State Conservative

Ed Zackery. Obviously not every message is befitting of a license plate so there has to be some discrimination. The way to control that discrimination is by electing people who represent you. It is frustrating because we have lost control of government at all levels, but unfortunately winning back local government is the constitutional solution if you want your message on a license plate.


14 posted on 06/18/2015 8:31:37 AM PDT by RightOnTheBorder
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To: GIdget2004
Justice Stephen Breyer said the state's decision to reject the group's plate did not violate its free speech rights.

How about equal application of the law? You know, fourteenth Amendment stuff?

15 posted on 06/18/2015 8:34:52 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp
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To: Nero Germanicus

The State Board of Education rolled back a long liberal trend of text book selections that had been controlled and guided by liberals for years. Good news, but much more work to be done.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/11/21/amid-outcry-texas-school-board-approves-new-history-books/


16 posted on 06/18/2015 8:35:04 AM PDT by centurion316 (ze)
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To: GIdget2004

Texas was a union state during the civil war.


17 posted on 06/18/2015 8:36:07 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods (Life is good.)
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To: GIdget2004

So! I guess license plates with a closed black fist would be acceptable. I also think one that says “black lives matter” would also be correct and proper.

FREE SPEECH? HELL NO! PC SPEECH, bet your ass it is.

This plate in question is an actual organization of sons of Civil war vets and is legitimate. How about outlawing “sons of WW-I and WW-2 vets? What’s next? Sons of Viet Nam vets? Sons of Iraq vets?

I’ve grown sick of censured speech and beliefs in what is a “so called” free society.

We are losing our rights and freedoms, WE HAVE LOST THEM thanks to both the Republicans and Democrats who have much more important work to do....enrich themselves to to hell with the unwashed serfs.


18 posted on 06/18/2015 8:40:01 AM PDT by DH (Once the tainted finger of government touches anything the rot begins)
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To: GIdget2004

The State of Mississippi could not be reached for comment.

19 posted on 06/18/2015 8:42:56 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: OriginalChristian

“This should’ve been settled by Texas. Period.”

It was settled by the state courts, until the Sons of Confederate Veterans took it to federal court. The 5th circuit agreed with the SCV, and now SCOTUS overturned the 5th circuit.


20 posted on 06/18/2015 8:45:56 AM PDT by GIdget2004
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