Attorney General Mark Herring took the first legal steps necessary to remove the Confederate flag from Virginia license plates. He has filed a motion in federal court in the Western District of Virginia to vacate the order and to dissolve the injunction issued in the 2001 case of Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc. and Virginia Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans Inc. vs. Richard D. Holcomb, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles which required the Commonwealth to place the flag on specialty license plates issued to members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
On Tuesday, Governor McAuliffe announced plans to remove the battle flag from these specialty plates in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc. Today’s filing begins the process of lifting the injunction so Virginia can enforce its existing statute, which states that “No logo or emblem of any description shall be displayed or incorporated into the design of license plates issued under this section.”
The Commonwealth anticipates a hearing on its motion in the coming weeks.