Has the time come for a new state flag?
Friday, Mar 3, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
State Senator Doris Turner has introduced a measure that would create a commission to develop a new Illinois state flag.
“After more than 100 years of the same design, I think it’s time to rework it,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “I’d like to see us take a community approach to create a new design for Illinois’ official state flag.”
Senate Bill 1818 would create the Illinois Flag Commission to develop new state flag designs. The commission would make recommendations to the General Assembly deciding whether the current state flag should be replaced with a redesigned state flag by Sept. 1.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources explains Illinois’ state flag history. There have been two official state flags – the first was adopted in 1915. The second was adopted in 1969, which did not change the original design of the flag but added “Illinois.”
In 2021, Utah passed a similar law creating the Utah State Flag Task Force which provided design toolkits to libraries, schools and other institutions. The task force received around 7,000 flag designs and over 44,000 public comments. According to Utah’s Department of Cultural and Community Engagement, students, educators, families and more were invited to participate in the process of choosing Utah’s new state flag.
“This initiative would promote public involvement and embody civic pride for our communities and state,” Turner said. “For years, Illinois was seen as fiscally irresponsible. We have turned that around and returned Illinois to the great state it is and our flag should reflect that.”
Senate Bill 1818 is assigned to the Senate State Government Committee.
* Old Utah state flag…
New Utah state flag…
My family lived in Utah for a couple of years, so it has a special place in my heart. I do like that flag. More here.
* So, what do you think? Has the time come to set up a commission like Utah did and replace this flag?…
- The Truth - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:45 pm:
Oh my goodness, yes please. Our current state of vexillology vexes me.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:47 pm:
I read the one of the arguments used in Utah for the new flag was that it would spur a boon in merchandise sales that would generate revenue. Novel argument I suppose.
I like our flag just the way it is, thank you very much.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:50 pm:
Nope. No new flag.
You show me a design that is simplistically smart and artistically savvy, “I’ll come around” flags change, but arbitrary dump the flag… nope.
- NIU Grad - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:50 pm:
Yes - Even though I have grown to appreciate the scrappiness of our ugly flag.
However - The Sep. 1st deadline is not enough time to garner input and put forward a recommendation. The challenge of the flag is how to bridge the gap between the various regions of the state and to connect together common threads. That will take some aggressive public outreach.
- Honeybear - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:52 pm:
I’d kinda like to go back to the blue Civil War battle flag. I think that one is better than the white one. Cooler Eagle too.
- Sox Fan - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:53 pm:
I thought Cook County came up with a pretty good flag, so I’d be ok with a new Illinois flag depending on the design. However, it’s a tough bar to clear the current “Eagle Eating Bacon” flag
- Pundent - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:53 pm:
No. Because our history with license plates tells me that creativity is not our strong suit.
- Lord of the Fries - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:56 pm:
The new Utah flag is cool but seems like fallows a design trend that could potentially be out of vogue in a few years. Makes for a cool sticker or unofficial flag. I suppose this could be said about the former flag and Illinois’ flag which would be true.
Why not give Illinois flag an update, it’s at least something to consider.
- New Day - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:57 pm:
No way. It’s classic and inoffensive, which is a pretty solid combination. It ain’t broke. Don’t fix it.
- Jibba - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:58 pm:
Absolutely not. New flags look like little computer icons and emojis (see Utah, New Zealand), not like an artist made it.
- Readerintense - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 1:58 pm:
With all that is going on in society, this is what my State Senator chooses to to waste her time and energy on???
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:00 pm:
===this is what my State Senator chooses to to waste her time and energy on?===
Oh my goodness, kindly release the grip on the pearls you appear to be clutching so tightly.
- Jack Sinatra - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:00 pm:
I think its a cool concept. It looks like Utah got a lot of participation with school kids and citizens and it stirred up a lot of civic pride. Plus, as I read it, the flag could still stay the same if thats the will of the people.
- Boy Blunder - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:01 pm:
Yes. Please replace the affront to design that is our state flag.
- Arsenal - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:01 pm:
There’s a sort of theory that any time a headline asks a question, the answer is “No.”
This post disproves that theory.
- Amalia - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:03 pm:
well, more important things, although….if the flag had a pumpkin on it…..Pumpkin State.
- JS Mill - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:08 pm:
No. Ours is one of the best.
- Anon 2:11 - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:11 pm:
Oh mercy, is there no other pressing business to attend to in this state? Leave well enough alone, please.
- Jean - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:20 pm:
What’s that supposed to be on the Utah flag? A bee hive? Horrible.
I like the Illinois flag. It’s classy and distinguished–probably better than this state deserves. So I suppose we could justify a dumbing down, on truth in advertising grounds alone.
- DuPage - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:21 pm:
No. If they want to change something, change the state highway signs to have the highway number in an outline of the state.
- very old soil - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:21 pm:
What would Nobel laureate Sheldon Cooper say?
- ;) - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:21 pm:
Don’t touch the flag, it is one of the best. Don’t make the mistake that Cook County did with that hideous thing.
- So_Ill - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:21 pm:
I’ve always liked the Illinois flag, but I would be open to seeing some new ideas.
- The Magnificent Purple Walnut. - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:22 pm:
Please leave it alone. Use the money to down more debt.
- Nick - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:25 pm:
My pet issue lives on!
- Just Me 2 - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:26 pm:
Bed sheet flags are not inspiring. Good flags have three colors, shapes, and no lettering. The best flags are usually considered the US Flag, England, City of Chicago, and City of Washington DC.
(Gee, I never thought that but of trivia would ever be useful.)
- Readerintense - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:28 pm:
Maybe her time would be better spent repealing the State Reptile.
- John Lopez - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:29 pm:
Remembering when I was a kid growing up in Texas, as someone not artistically gifted, it was cool and gave me state pride to be able to draw the Texas state flag with its Lone Star blue field reminding all of the Lone Star Republic and its two large horizontal stripes, one white, the other red, in recognition to its voluntary annexation into the United States at the end of 1845.
Neighboring New Mexico was also a state flag I could actually draw.
The new Utah flag is likely one I could draw, so if the charge of the new Flag Commission is to design a simple flag that even a kid could draw, let’s do it.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:32 pm:
That Utah flag looks like something from a video game.
Maybe focus on other things.
- The Truth - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:32 pm:
==No. Ours is one of the best.==
I’m sorry, @JS Mill, but it is objectively one of the worst.
- ChicagoVinny - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:37 pm:
Yes. Look at how many Chicago flag remixes, how prevalent in the city it is. A cool flag leads to more civic pride.
- Wensicia - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:37 pm:
There should be a vote on whatever design gets picked and our current flag.
I prefer the current flag and I’ll bet most others would as well.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:41 pm:
===Cook County did with that hideous thing. ===
I kinda like it.
- cermak_rd - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:49 pm:
I like the Cook County flag. A flag should be simple so that you could instantly differentiate a ship from a distance that is flying the flag. So if an IL battle barge flying its flag is headed toward St. Louis, they would know it’s the enemy and to fire.
- Tired teacher - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:52 pm:
Yes. A good idea. Other state flags are used in promotional efforts and help spread a good impression. This is a great state and we are doing good things now. Keeping momentum up is a good thing.
- Merica - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:54 pm:
The Utah flag reminds me of the boat name “Boaty McBoatface”
- CT Guy - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:56 pm:
No, not after see some of the finalist for the Cook Co. flag, even though I will admit the old one wasn’t great.
But I’ll be content as long as the Chicago flag remains untouched.
- Bruce( no not him) - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 2:59 pm:
Big blue letters “Madigan” on a red background. /S
- Benjamin - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 3:06 pm:
Absolutely, yes. Vexillillogical …vexilogical…flag experts have a few rules about what makes a good flag:
-Keep It Simple. The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
-Use Meaningful Symbolism. The flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes
-Use 2 or 3 Basic Colors. Limit the number of colors on the flag to three which contrast well and come from the standard color set
-No Lettering or Seals. Never use writing on any kind or an organization’s seal
-Be Distinctive or Be Related. Avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections
(see https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/xf-gflag.html)
Illinois’ flag violates every one of them. About the only thing they could do to make it worse would be to change the background from white to blue, since several other states also have “seal-on-a-blue-bedsheet” flags.
So, please, for the love of God, a new flag.
- Jaguar - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 3:18 pm:
No. There’s nothing wrong with the current flag.
- rtov - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 3:18 pm:
Benjamin has caused me to change my vote, bring on the new flag.
- Arsenal - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 3:27 pm:
==Use the money to down more debt.==
How much do you think it’s going to cost, exactly?
- Give us Barabbas - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 3:29 pm:
They had better not correct the spelling on the motto, grrr.
I am not in favor of changing the flag, and any revenue made from merchandizing a new flag might be offset by all the costs of changing it in all the places it now exists. I agree with Pundent that based on the license plate design fails thru the years, we’re just opening ourselves up to something potentially much worse. The current flag is not flashy but it’s not ugly, and I like the idea of keeping ties to the past with an unchanging symbol of continuity. Mostly though, I don’t hear a truly compelling argument to change it. The state needs no “re-branding” and that’s what this feels like to me; a needless brand refresh instead of working on the real fundamentals. One option that might please many would be to retain the seal as-is but just make it take up much more of the plain white field than it does now, almost to the borders.
My brother thinks the state flag is a white sheet with a big “W” on it.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 3:33 pm:
===The state needs no “re-branding” ===
Yes. It does. Desperately.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 3:41 pm:
Flags do help with rebranding. No snark. Truly.
The Mississippi flag change, just recently, was an attempt to do that for a state with a flag not concerned about its looks, but concerning because of its symbolism.
If it has worked or is working, that’s up to others, but the rebranding (for lack of a better word that is equal to rebrand to that flag and it’s symbolism) was a big reason, the bigger reason for all it symbolized.
If Illinois can, in a very different way and reasoning to Mississippi, rebrand and bring some state pride back or elevate a love for Illinois “again”, I’d be very much in favor of that reasoning outside the pure thought to “looks”
- low level - Friday, Mar 3, 23 @ 3:50 pm:
No, the motto is as relevant today as it was then. Keep it.