NORTH CAROLINA: State Stops Issuing Confederate Flag License Plates
North Carolina’s transport authorities are braking a special license plate with a Confederate combat ensign.
Starting January 1, 2021, the North Carolina Automotive Division will no longer issue or renew special plates with the Confederate symbol or its version.
” [DMV] We have determined that the license plate with the federal battle ensign could offend those who see it. ” “Therefore, we conclude that the federal battle ensign display is inappropriate for display on special license plates that are the property of the state.”
However, the agency continues to recognize the division of the state of the sons of Confederate veterans as a civil society eligible to receive special plates. DMV officials cited a 1998 proceeding in which a Confederate group successfully sued North Carolina to qualify as a civil society that meets the standards of a special plate.
“But SCV’s classification as a civil society does not give it the right to direct the content of government speeches on its specialty plate,” the DMV statement continued.
The agency said it had contacted SCV personnel to develop license plate artwork that did not have the federal combat flag, but these efforts were “proven to fail.” , DMVs are no longer published or updated.
“DMV is still open to reviewing alternative artwork for review and resuming the issuance of special plates for SCV members,” the statement continued. “Until such an agreement can be reached, the DMV will issue a standard plate to SCV members and either refund the special plate fee paid or offer a different special plate.”
Change – First reported on Monday By Wilmington StarNews — Six months after the state DMV admitted to the newspaper that it had received a complaint about the Confederate flag in July because the country was upset by George Floyd’s police death in Minneapolis. ..
The agency said it had no plans to change its Confederate policy on the plate at the time — Star News reported when more than 2,500 people were active throughout the state.
A North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesman told The Post that a total of 413 SCV plates were issued in 2019 and an additional 386 last year.
Meanwhile, a North Carolina SCV branch spokesman said he plans to take legal action on the change and has already contacted a lawyer.
“Our plate was issued under a court order and was upheld by the NC Court of Appeals,” spokesman Frank Powell told Star News. “It doesn’t matter who the Secretary of Transport is. They can’t violate the ruling.”
–nypost.com
