* Click here for some background. Illinois Flag Commission…

Beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 3, the Illinois Flag Commission will start accepting public submissions for a new state flag design. […]

The commission was created in 2023 after Senate Bill 1818, sponsored by State Senator Doris Turner (48th District—Springfield) and State Representative Kam Buckner (26th District—Chicago) was signed into law.

The commission will select 10 designs based on how they reflect the identity of Illinois and will host an online public survey for the public to vote on their favorites or to keep the current flag. Voting will begin Jan. 1 and last six weeks.

After public feedback, the commission will report its findings to the Illinois General Assembly, whose members will vote on whether to adopt a new flag or retain the current flag design.

The bill allows for the commission to evaluate if a new state flag would better represent the state’s diversity of urban, suburban and rural communities and inspire renewed state pride among Illinoisians.

* Our current flag…

* Here are the guidelines…

Some general guidance for submissions includes:

- Design elements can include natural features of the state, history and culture of the state.
- No limit on flag shape or ratio but designs may be edited by the commission.
- No limit on colors but recommended less than three colors for clarity of design.
- Participants can upload online or can submit their design via mail addressed to Illinois Flag Commission, Howlett Building, Room 476, 501 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62756
- Participants are required to provide their first and last name, address, email address and phone number. They are also required to explain their relationship to Illinois and provide a description of their flag entry (each category limited to 500 characters).
- To upload an image, the file will need to be 5mb or less and in PNG, GIF, or JPG format.
- There should be no watermarks or frames around the image.
- By submitting a design to the Commission, the designer is authorizing the Commission and the State of Illinois to take ownership of the design
- Persons under 18 may submit designs if submitted in coordination with a parent/ guardian, teacher or adult mentor.
- Designs cannot be copied from other designs or use existing logos or copyrighted materials; however, the design can include elements or reproductions of the State Seal or any prior Illinois State flag.
- Designs cannot be AI generated.
Submissions are limited to three per person.
- Submissions from outside the United States, i.e. military bases, need to be made by regular mail.

* Voters in Maine will decide on a new state flag design this fall. The new design…

* The old one…

…Adding… WBEZ…

The City of Evanston has a new flag, thanks to 7-year-old Bernie Allen-Harrah.

The rising second grader’s design was chosen as the winner of the Mayor’s Youth Flag Redesign Contest.

The competition was open to Evanston K-12 students. Finalists worked with professional designers who volunteered to help the contestants polish their creations. […]

MARY DIXON: How about if you describe your design for our listeners? How would you describe it?

BERNIE ALLEN-HARRAH: The green represents all of the trees in Evanston and the star represents Grosse Point Lighthouse. The beach represents the beach of Lake Michigan and the water represents Lake Michigan.

MD: So the beach is like a nice sandy color. And the water is a really nice blue color, right? What gave you that idea?

BAH: I thought of a map. And it’s supposed to be like, a map, like if you were to be in a helicopter, you would look down and you would see that

* Evanston’s new flag…

* What it replaced…

What are your thoughts?