OLYMPIA, Wash. — A proposal to change Washington’s state flag got a public hearing in Olympia Tuesday afternoon. The discussion raised questions about whether the green banner with the state seal best represents Washingtonians, and whether a new flag is a priority lawmakers should be focused on right now.
House Bill 1938 would establish a committee to oversee the process of designing and adopting a new flag.
The committee, made up of legislators, artists and historians among others, would take submissions and feedback from the public throughout the redesign process.
By July of 2028, they would have to unanimously adopt one design and work with the legislature to create a referendum for Washingtonians to vote on the new flag. Any future redesigns would also need to go through a referendum process.
According to an analysis provided by legislative staff, Washington’s flag is the only one with a green field and featuring a former president. A 2001 survey from the North
American Vexillological Association ranked the state flag in the lower half of all U.S. and Canadian state and provincial flags.
Supporters of the bill said the current design is difficult to reproduce, and blends in as one of many state flags that’s just a seal on a solid background. They argued the flag does not really represent the state.
Bradley Lockhart, designer of Bellingham’s municipal flag, drew comparisons to when the city adopted his banner back in 2017. He told the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee that initial pushback to the new symbol later became embrace from the community.
“Now it’s become this incredibly popular, ubiquitous part of the community that appears on murals and sculptures. it’s on the side of our garbage trucks, baked into cookies and even tattooed on citizens,” the Western Washington University professor said. “And that’s the kind of a flag we deserve to have in Washington.”
Critics of the measure question whether a new flag should be a priority for lawmakers, given the state’s budget shortfall and other issues. A fiscal analysis from the state estimates the effort could cost the state over $2.3 million over the next four years to implement.
Opponents also see a potential flag redesign as an affront to George Washington and his significance as a national hero.
“No other state is named after a president. we’re also the only state to display a person of such significance,” testified Ryan Jewell. “President Washington has been flown powerfully over our state for more than 100 years. Let’s not be the generation responsible for ripping him off that sacred place.”
The bill would not change the state seal which features Washington’s likeness and is found on the flag, government documents and other official places.
The bill is scheduled for a vote out of committee Wednesday afternoon. However, Democratic leadership in the legislature said redesigning the flag is not a pressing issue.
“It’s not the highest priority, I think, for either my caucus or for me this session,” said House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma). “But we’ll see where it moves in committee work and if we end up having a discussion of it in caucus.”
Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle) acknowledged the flag’s
recognition for poor design but also doubted the bill’s prospects.
“I completely agree with the House. It’s not anywhere near the top 50 priorities for the legislature this year. So, it seems unlikely that it’s gonna move,” he said.
Albert James is a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University.
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