Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox officially signed a bill and an executive order approving a new state flag.
“Our traditional Utah state flag has been a symbol of faith, diligence and strength to Utahns, and will continue to fly at the state Capitol along with the new state flag of Utah,” Cox tweeted last week.
The House has passed the state flag bill!
— Lt. Gov. Deidre M. Henderson (@LGHendersonUtah) March 2, 2023
Not only will Utah have a beautiful historical flag, after Senate concurrence, we’ll soon have a new flag to fly in the Beehive State. pic.twitter.com/iZfm5bfzLR
The new flag has a central beehive and coordinating star surrounded by a hexagon, snowy mountains, and red rocks on a blue background.Â
According to the Utah Department of Culture and Community Engagement’s “More Than Just A Flag” initiative, the colors and symbols stand for numerous facets of the state’s history, people, and geography, as well as values like strength and unity.
But the current flag isn’t going anywhere. In addition to signing SB31, the governor also issued an executive order outlining how the state’s historic flag will continue to be flown.
Three previous versions of the present Utah flag are now considered “historical” under new state flag legislation proposed by Republican state Sen. Dan McCay.
Cox’s executive order will require the historic Utah flag to “be flown at the Capitol at all times and at all state buildings on certain holidays and special occasions.”
“This will ensure that the historic flag will remain a symbol of our history and strength,” Cox said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that he was “grateful for the tens of thousands of Utahns who participated in designing and selecting this new flag.”
The new state flag is set to take effect on March 9, 2024, 113 years after the Utah legislature first adopted the historic state flag on March 9, 1911. The Utah Department of Culture and Community Engagement says that the state’s original flag was created in 1903.
“I am grateful for the tens of thousands of Utahns who participated in designing and selecting this new flag. Just as we have much to be grateful for from our ancestors, I hope that today’s Utahns will be worthy of the mantle that has been placed upon them to preserve and build Utah’s legacy for our children, grandchildren, and generations to come,” Cox said in a statement after signing the bill.
Efforts to change Utah’s state flag began in 2019. Officials selected the new flag design from thousands of proposals that were submitted by the public last year.
