Can KKK 'adopt a highway'? Court hears arguments

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia court is set to hear arguments over the state's refusal to let a Ku Klux Klan group participate in a highway cleanup program.

The Georgia Court of Appeals will take up the case Thursday.

The north Georgia KKK group's application for the Adopt-A-Highway program was denied in 2012. The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation sued on the group's behalf, saying its right to free speech was violated. In November, a judge ruled in the organization's favor, saying it could adopt a stretch of highway and that the state gave the KKK scrutiny not applied to other groups.

The state has appealed and wants the ruling reversed.

In denying the application, the state said promoting an organization with a history of inciting unrest could negatively affect quality of life and economic development in Georgia.