SALT LAKE CITY — A new Utah state flag design has been advanced, the product of thousands of people's ideas.
WATCH: Classroom learns civility discussing latest state flag design
A special commission created to come up with a new flag voted unanimously to approve the design and send it to the full Utah State Legislature for a vote.
"This is the first time in history we have a flag that had some public input. A lot of public input. The public built this flag," said Governor Spencer Cox.
FOX 13 News obtained an advance design and first reported on the final design last week. It was ultimately modified slightly before the commission's final vote on Thursday.
"To me? It’s a flag that has a lot of meaning for who we are and who we want to be and be seen by the rest of the country," said Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, who co-sponsored the bill to design a new flag.
More than 44,000 public comments were submitted on flag ideas and themes people wanted to see in a new flag. Ultimately, the state flag commission whittled 5,703 designs down to a final one that scored high with the public, political and tribal leaders and professional designers.
The new flag incorporates a number of symbols in it. There's the iconic beehive, a symbol of Utah's foundation. There is also the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah and the redrock canyons of southern Utah. An eight point star, representing Utah's Native American tribes, was modified in the final design to just be a Native American "hope star."
"To me, that star is the foundation. It’s the first thing that everything else is built on top of," said Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson.
The old Utah state flag has been criticized as being "boring" and a "state seal on a blue bedsheet." But it has its fans. Sen. Jake Anderegg, R-Lehi, said he had a constituent call and complain the new design was "woke" and they were "cancelling" the state flag. After explaining the concepts in the new flag, Sen. Anderegg said the man became a supporter.
"We're still going to keep the old flag, right? And it’s going to be used in ceremonial aspects, but this is something we can brand and becomes a widely recognizable symbol that really implements all the things we value as a state," Sen. Anderegg told FOX 13 News.
Rep. Steve Handy, R-Layton, who sponsored the flag bill, said the new one is good.
"We’re not changing Utah’s history," he said. "It’s just a rebrand."
Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said the new flag will make Utah recognizable in many ways.
"I think when they see it on swag it’s going to be easier," she said. "And when I go to Colorado, I go to Arizona, I go to New Mexico, Texas, we know who those folks are because of their flag."
Sen. McCay predicted the flag will win the approval of the full legislature when they begin meeting in January.
"There’s certainly a group of people who feel like under no circumstances should the flag change. I understand that’s a perspective," Sen. Dan McCay said last week. "There’s also a group that feels like the flag should change."
During the selection process, designs were submitted from all 29 Utah counties and whittled down to 20 semi-finalists before the winner was chosen.
