SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 14, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Gov. Spencer Cox will chair a task force to create a new Utah flag, his office announced Monday.
“Utah’s flag should symbolize our values and our ambitions,” Cox said in a prepared statement. “I’m hopeful we can design a new state flag that better represents both our past and our future, and that reflects what makes Utah such a special place.”
Other members of the task force include Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, Sens. Jacob Anderegg, Luz Escamilla, and Daniel McCay, Reps. Stephen Handy, Robert Spendlove, and Elizabeth Weight, and Jill Love, the executive director of the Department of Cultural & Community Engagement.
The task force was created through legislation passed during the 2021 General Session, sponsored by Sen. McCay and Rep. Handy. A core principle of the task force is to give every Utahn the opportunity to shape the principles and symbolism of the new flag, the statement says, adding that “public engagement is important to ensure a dynamic new state flag.”
The goal for the new flag will be a simplified design that is more iconic. It will also incorporate symbolism more reflective of Utah’s heritage while also representing all Utahns and the state’s aspirations for the future, the statement says.
“Utah is a very distinctive state, but our current flag blends in with many other state flags. We can do better,” McCay said. “The new state flag can be simplified with a design that is both innovative and memorable.”
Once a new state flag is chosen, the current state flag will become the Governor’s Flag and will still be flown publicly. The state seal, which is shown on the current flag, will also remain in place.
The first meeting of the State Flag Task Force will be Wednesday, June 16, at 4 p.m. in the Utah State Capitol Boardroom. It is open to the public.
