Supreme Court: States can ban Confederate plates

The US Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the state of Texas can ban Confederate vanity license plates. Justice Clarence Thomas joined the court’s four liberal judges for the majority opinion, in a 5-4 ruling.

The case was argued in March but its ruling came down on the same day that Dylann Roof, the suspect in Wednesday’s shooting in Charleston, was shown posing in photos with vanity Confederate plates.

The court ruled that the government is allowed to espouse views such as to promote vaccinations or recycling. “When the government speaks it is entitled to promote a program, to espouse a policy or to take a position,” wrote Justice Stephen G. Breyer for the majority opinion.

This story was originally published June 19, 2015 at 9:50 AM with the headline "Supreme Court: States can ban Confederate plates."