Sales of Confederate license plates in Tennessee have increased by 72 percent since 2015, The Tennessean reported.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans group has sold its plate, which contains the Confederate battle flag, for 14 years, but has not seen such high sales since at least 2007, the report said.
"Every time that some of our history that we're so proud of has been attacked, people have gone out, and probably some members who had license plates but quit renewing have gone back and put them on their vehicle," said James Patterson, Sons of Confederate Veterans commander and leader of the group's Tennessee chapter.
The group sold 3,273 plates in the 2018 fiscal year, compared to 1,902 sold in fiscal year 2015, the report said.
Tennessee residents can buy the license plate for a $61.50 annual fee. Out of that amount, Sons of Confederate Veterans gives $35 to the Tennessee Highway Found and Arts Commission.
Patterson said he has the Confederacy plate on four vehicles. He said the money from the tags goes mainly to erecting Confederate monuments on private property, cemetery restoration projects, and helping fund the Tennessee State Museum's Civil War artifact conservation, The Tennessean reported.
In May, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed the Heritage Protection Act, which requires a waiver from the Tennessee Historical Commission before any statues, monuments, or historical markers can be removed, The Tennessean reported at the time.
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