Confederate-Themed License Plate Stirs Controversy in Georgia

Georgia’s latest license plate offering has a Confederate flag theme that has sparked criticism from civil-rights groups like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and praise from the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), the organization that sponsored the plate. The design is one of many available in Georgia.

The state’s Department of Revenue began issuing the plates this month. A department spokesman said the plates are not new, but were redesigned as part of the state’s transition to digital plates from the traditional stamped-metal design. He said the state has offered SCV plates since the early 2000s. The latest version was approved Feb. 1, he said.

New or not, the plates have irritated a number of people and sparked debate....