Tennessee Republican governor signs proclamation honoring first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan

"I haven’t looked at changing that law," Gov. Lee said.

Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee has signed a proclamation in honor of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the very first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, also known as the white supremacist terror group KKK.

The KKK is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and is widely classified as a terrorist group.

Nathan Bedford Forrest was a traitor who rose to the rank of General in the Confederate Army. The proclamation refers to him not as a KKK grand wizard but as a "recognized military figure in American history and a native Tennessean."

The Tennessean reports that state law requires the Tennessee governor to issue  proclamations for six separate days of special observation, three of which, including the July 13 Forrest Day, pertain to the Confederacy."

An effort by Democrats to rescind the law previously was not successful, and Gov. Lee says he has not looked in to trying to do so – nor has he said he thinks the law should be rescinded.

"I signed the bill because the law requires that I do that and I haven’t looked at changing that law," Gov. Lee said.