ST. GEORGE — After much debate and discussion, Utah lawmakers have approved a new state flag, although the current one can still be used.
By a vote of 40-35 on Thursday, the Utah House of Representatives passed the measure known as Senate Bill 31, or “State Flag Amendments,” which designates a new design for the official state flag featuring horizontal sections of blue, white and red, with the white resembling five mountain peaks, a beehive enclosed in a hexagon, with a single star underneath.
The final design has begun to be called simply “The Beehive Flag.”
To @GovCox’s desk!!!!! The #utleg adopted the #BeehiveFlag today. Congratulations, #Utah, you’re getting a new flag! pic.twitter.com/oPxYdZgL98
— BeehiveFlag (@BeehiveFlag) March 2, 2023
The House passed the bill on Thursday after first making one final substitution to remove a section regarding license plates. Days earlier, a House committee had made a previous substitution clarifying that the current state flag, which has been used since 1911, will remain in use as the “historic state flag,” to be flown or displayed on ceremonial occasions, as well as “upon any occasion deemed fitting and appropriate.”
The amended bill then went back to the Senate, which approved the final version by a 19-9 vote. It now moves to the desk of Gov. Spencer Cox, who is expected to sign it into law.
Cox and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson are both members of the State Flag Task Force, a committee that was first established by the 2021 Legislature and tasked with studying the feasibility of a new state flag and developing a process to get the public involved in its design.
As previously reported, more than 7,000 designs were submitted in 2022 from around the state. Only 20 were selected as semifinalists. The field was later narrowed down to five, after which one final design, with a couple minor tweaks, was chosen by the task force.
“This has been a long time in the making,” said Rep. Mike Schultz, House Majority Leader and the bill’s sponsor in the House.
Speaking shortly before the measure was brought to a vote by the House on Thursday, Schultz said, “I’m very proud to say that I think that the public has had a lot of time to think about this, to comment on it, to bring forth their concerns and their new ideas. And, it’s been out there all session. I’m grateful that the public’s had a chance to weigh in. I don’t think anybody can criticize the process that this has (gone) through.”
Schultz said that while he thinks Utah’s state seal is one of the best in the nation, its details don’t stand out well when viewed on a flagpole from afar.
“To have that on the flag … it’s tough to see all those little details and how beautiful it actually is,” he said.
The state seal will remain unchanged and continue to be used as it has been, he noted.
As for the cost of switching to the new flag, Schultz said it would be minimal. He pointed out the bill’s fiscal note had an estimated financial impact of $3,000, “a very minor number.”
“(It’s) because we’re keeping the old flag as an option,” he said. “There’s no requirements to replace the flag. We can fly the old flag in state buildings. We’re not having to spend additional money on it. And when those flags wear out, we could replace those flags with whichever flag.”
Schultz did address the money that had been spent during the developmental process, which included the setting up of the task force.
“I am not aware of the exact cost. I know a commission was set up and the process was followed. I believe it was probably a couple hundred thousand, several hundred thousand, something like that, overall, to get to this process,” he said, adding, “But I think that’s important, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that we go through the process, and if it does take a little extra money or a little money that has already been spent to go through that process to make sure everyone in the state has an opportunity to participate, then I think that that’s important. That’s part of the process. That’s part of what we do.”
Before the House vote was taken, several of the representatives took the floor to offer their opinions.
“I’m not saying that this is the most important bill that we will vote on this legislative session, but I will say that it is historic,” said Rep. Jeffrey Stenquist (R-Draper) said. “I want my grandchildren to tell their kids, when they look up at the Utah flag, that my grandfather voted for that flag.”
Rep. Quinn Kotter (R-West Valley City) spoke in opposition, saying he prefers the current “state seal” flag.
“I’ve been flying it for a couple of years now, and I’ve really come to respect that seal,” he said. “Every time I see it, it brings great feelings of our state to me. For that reason, I oppose this bill and stand up for our current flag.”
Another lawmaker voting against the bill was Rep. Steven Lund (R-Manti), who said that even though he likes the new design as a logo, he didn’t like the idea of it supplanting the official state flag.
“We are relegating our historic flag to a subordinate position for a logo, in my opinion,” Lund said. “Again, I love the logo. I love all that it stands for. I love the hexagonal design and the beehive. I love the fact that it shows red rocks and snow, and it represents our mountains. Everything about it, I love. And I so appreciate the people that have put this together and come up with this design. The debates have been rigorous. And yet, we’re willing to subordinate our historic flag to this new flag. I really struggle with that, and for that reason, I’ll be voting no.”
“To me, this issue is about representing the majority of people that I serve,” said Rep. Kera Birkeland (R-Morgan). ”And like it or not, believe it or not, the majority either don’t care or they care and they like the new design.”
Birkeland said some have derided proponents of the new flag as “traitors,” in an attempt to minimize the opinions of others.
“We can love so many great things about our state and our current flag,” she said. “And we can still love to look forward to the future, to something that we think is also unique, and amazing. And it doesn’t make us less Utahn. It doesn’t make us less Republican. And it doesn’t make us less proud of the people, whether they’re for or against the flag, that we serve. You can be against the flag and I’m still proud to serve you and hear you and work with you on all the many important issues that actually keep me awake at night.”
During his final summation before the vote, Schultz said, “The thing that I love most is that the flag is going to be flown … Utah’s flag will be flown more than it ever has before.”
“I’m grateful for this debate,” he added. “I think that this has reinvigorated Utah and the flag, and hopefully we have the opportunity to be able to fly more Utah flags after this.”
Even after SB31 is signed by the governor, Utah’s current state flag will still remain official for one more year, as the legislation has an effective date of March 9, 2024.
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