Georgia Governor Nathan Deal says he wants a redesign of Georgia’s state-issued Sons of Confederate Veterans license plates.
The current design includes a Confederate battle flag background that covers the entire tag.
“As I have said before, many interest groups in Georgia are able to express personal views on specialty plates, and I support the ability of these groups, including the Sons of Confederate Veterans, to express their views,” Deal says. “I have tried to govern as a consensus builder, and I believe we can reach a resolution agreeable to all sides through a redesign of the plate.
The controversy over the Civil War era emblem reignited last week after a lone gunman opened fire in a Charleston, South Carolina church killing 9 people. The attack was racially motivated and led to calls for the removal of the stars and bars from South Carolina’s state flag.
Georgia removed the Confederate battle symbol from its state flag in 2003. Deal says he is optimistic that the state can change the tag as well. “Georgia has faced down this controversy before, has found solutions that brought people together instead of dividing them and has come through those debates a more united people.” I know we can do that again. Georgia celebrates its diversity, its commitment to equality for all and its tolerance of all viewpoints.”
There are 9 million Georgia license plates in use currently, only 3,500 of them are Sons of Confederate Veterans plates.
