A bill advancing the design for a new Utah state flag has cleared a House committee.
Sponsored by Sen. Dan McCay, Senate Bill 31 passed out of the House Economic Development & Workforce Services Committee with a 7-2 vote. The most up-to-date version of the bill will introduce a new design for the state flag, but will preserve the existing state flag for ceremonial and “historic” purposes.
Sen. McCay says that he and other officials are still trying to incorporate the old flag into situations that shows respect for its history.
Over the past few months, the bill has become quite controversial on Utah’s Capitol Hill with groups rallying both for it and against it. On one side of the argument, people are accusing the bill of trying to erase the state’s history. On the opposing side, people like Ellen Jeppson, president of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, believe that the new flag has symbols representing significant parts of Utah.
The final design will be voted on by the full House next.
