An effort to "modernize" Utah's state flag design didn't sit well with some state senators, though it did win enough support to move onto further debate in the Senate.
Senator Daniel McCay, R-Riverton, told KSL, "There're iconic flags all over the country. A good portion of the top half of the states have a flag with a blue background with their state seal on it. We thought maybe there, with some effort, and with some design input from the public, that we could modernize our flag, and make it so that it adheres to modern vexillology and vexillological principles. I would prefer that we develop a brand and develop an identity that ties closely to who Utah is, and it's something that somebody might consider putting on a hat."
The public comments have also been split. Rep. Stephen Handy, R-Layton, said that he has received many emails with comment such as "Why are you wasting time?" and "Why is the Legislature wasting my taxpayer money speaking of this?"
John Hartvigsen, an advisory board member of the Colonial Flag Foundation, called in to strongly oppose the bill.
Hartvigsen said, "I've been studying flags for decades. I study not only the history of flags and the Utah state flag, but also the ways in which flags are designed and redesigned. The things that (McCay) mentioned, as far as deciding if a flag is a good flag or a bad flag, that doesn't wash. There is no single set of rules that are used."
Handy disagreed with Hartvigsen. He said, "We ought to have something that's more representative. Companies rebrand all the time. Why should a state be afraid of rebranding?"
The committee recommended the bill 3-2.
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