State Flag
Senate Bill SB31 is a chance to have a conversation about who we are today and the importance of choosing a 21st-century flag to represent us all.

Argument For
“This is not an effort, at all, to take away our history. This is an effort to modernize a symbol of our great state.  We’re not changing Utah’s history.  It’s just a rebrand.”  Rep. Stephen Handy, of the Utah Flag Task Force

"It has served our state very well for a very long time. ... Where it hasn't served well is when it's up on a flagpole," he said, adding that the new design is easier to distinguish than the current design.  Michael De Groote

"Utah deserves a flag as distinctive as its people," he wrote. "The newly proposed flag offers an opportunity to tell Utah's story to the world in a way they can understand and remember."  Senator Mike Lee

The flag change will not technically add any additional costs to swap flags, according to a report compiled by the Utah Legislative Fiscal Analyst Office. Local governments replace flags on a fairly regular basis because of wear and tear at a cost of $20 each.

Sponsor Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton says the current state flag, which features the state seal on a blue field, will shift to a ceremonial role and will fly over state property on holidays and special occasions at the discretion of the governor.

Utah schoolchildren have trouble drawing the flag.  “We’re a very young state,” Rep. Steve Handy, R-Layton said. “That generation doesn’t relate to the flag.”  Colorado, Handy said, has a sense of pride about its simple, but eye-catching, flag. It isn’t unusual to see the Texas flag worn proudly on clothing and baseball caps. Arizona’s conveys a sense of warmth and welcoming. None of these is busy. They are simple and effective.

THE SYMBOLS ON THE PROPOSED FLAG REPRESENT:
  • Blue for knowledge, freedom, and tradition, as well as Utah's natural lakes and dark skies.
  • A band of rugged white suggests Utahns’ idea of home, and evoke the mountains that called to, and cradled, generations of our ancestors.
  • A gold hexagon for prosperity and industry, our state's slogan, and our desert landscapes.
  • A beehive for prosperity and our identity as the Beehive State.
  • An eight-pointed star for hope, which represents the foundation of our state, and for the state's Tribal Nations.
  • A red rock valley represents Southern Utah’s majestic landscapes.
We kept the beehive, but got rid of all the other mormon and patriotic stuff (flower, 1847, eagle, US flag.)

Argument Against

The new flag erases a piece of Utah's history, especially since the official flag has remained almost untouched for over a century.

"I don't see why we need to cancel Utah," said Mike Brown, who identified himself to the committee as a sixth-generation Utahn. "In an era of cancel culture, that's exactly what is happening. ... Let's think about our history a little bit."

Compare the symbolism of the proposed flag with the current flag.  It is easy to understand why the sego lily flower is important in Utah's history, challenging to understand why blue is for knowledge and freedom, difficult to get industry out of a gold hexagon.

Some of us are still loyal to the United States and the Constitution and want the US Flag and eagle on our state flag.

The new flag is not a bad flag, but it is not our flag with it's rich history of the pioneers, loyalty to the country and inclusion of Utah's Native American Tribes.

THE SYMBOLS ON THE CURRENT FLAG REPRESENT:

A bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, symbolizes protection in peace and war. The sego lily is a a flowering plant that survives in the arid Great Basin climate, and provided food to the early pioneer colony, helping the settlers survive the harsh winters after their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley. 

The state motto "Industry" and the beehive represent progress and hard work, and hearkens from the original name of the territory "Deseret" a word from the Book of Mormon meaning honeybee. 

The U.S. flags show Utah's support and commitment to the United States. The state name "Utah" appears below the beehive.

The date 1847 represents the year the Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley, while 1896 represents the year that Utah was admitted as the 45th state to the Union. 

The six arrows represent the six Native American tribes that live in Utah (Shoshone, Goshute, Navajo, Paiute, Northern Utes, and White Mesa Utes). 

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