Nathan Bedford Forrest Day, after early Ku Klux Klan leader, proclaimed in Tennessee

Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is facing backlash for signing a proclamation ordering a day to honour Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan.

Lee told reporters this week that a 1969 state law required him to sign the proclamation but declined to say whether he believed the law should be repealed.

WATCH: April 28, 2017 — Tennessee lawmakers duped into honouring KKK leader

1:51 Tennessee lawmakers duped into honouring KKK founder

The proclamation designates July 13 as “Nathan Bedford Forrest Day.”

Forrest was a Confederate cavalry general who had amassed a fortune as a plantation owner and slave trader in Memphis before the Civil War.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: Tennessee lawmakers ‘tricked’ into honouring early KKK leader

By Friday, Lee was receiving pushback from both Republicans and Democrats for signing the proclamation.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted signing it was wrong and urged Lee to change the law.