House Constitution Subcommittee Ranking Member Steve Cohen’s Statement on Supreme Court’s Texas Confederate License Plate Ruling

[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) issued the following statement on today’s ruling of the Supreme Court that states have the right to reject specialty license plate designs, like those including Confederate flags, that it does not wish to promote:

“States should not be in the business of endorsing the Confederate flag which represents rejection of the United States of America, secession from the Union, and support of slavery. I commend the Supreme Court for protecting states’ right not to have license plates that would be disturbing to many of its citizens and not threatening a tried and true manner of voluntary state funding.”

As a State Senator, Steve Cohen helped create a specialty state license plate program in Tennessee that has been an important permanent source of funding for the arts. He also voted against the creation of a Confederate flag license plate in Tennessee.