ELECTIONS, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT
Potential redesign of new Utah State Flag emphasizes Native American tribes
Jan 31, 2023, 9:30 PM | Updated: 9:42 pm
The Utah State Capitol is pictured in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Kira Hoffelmeyer/ KSL NewsRadio)
(Kira Hoffelmeyer/ KSL NewsRadio)
SALT LAKE CITY — There may be another redesign coming to the new Utah State Flag.
The Native American community has pointed out that the star on the new flag, as it was presented late last year, looks like an asterisk.
Sen. Dan McCay (R-Riverton) is sponsoring a bill that would call for a slight redesign of the new state flag. He joined Dave and Dujanovic with hosts Dave Noriega and Debbie Dujanovic on Tuesday to discuss S.B. 31.
If the , the new design of the flag will consist of a five-point star, as opposed to the eight-point star that was unveiled in November.
“Well, what happens is you come up with a great graphic,” McCay said. “And you put it out for public consumption, and you start getting feedback. And you know, we heard the asterisk comment. We heard some of those things. But it wasn’t until a constituent brought it to my attention.”
Redesign of the new state flag
He says the landscape perspective and the pioneering perspective of the flag are historic.
McCay says a constituent of his suggested that the flag be made backward looking. And that it has a focus on the five Native American tribes that are historic to Utah – the Navajo, Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute and Ute, making them the peaks of the mountains.
McCay says he had also heard talk about the Beehive was squashing the star.
“We wanted to get away from all that talk,” he said. “And focus on really the symbolism and that’s why we made. That’s why we made the shift.”
McCay says the eight-point flag is already flying across Utah.
“And so, what you’re gonna see is a slow adaption,” he said.
McCays expects to the bill to pass sometime before the end of the session.
“I’m not in a hurry,” he said.
The Deseret News reports that the Senate voted Monday 17-10 in favor of S.B. 31.
Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.
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