FEBRUARY 13, 2025 — A group of Democratic lawmakers in Washington is pushing to redesign the state flag, arguing that the current design does not effectively represent the state’s identity, reports My Northwest.
The proposal would establish a committee to oversee the process, with a final design put to a statewide vote.
House Bill 1938, sponsored by Representatives Strom Peterson, Julia Reed, and Greg Nance, calls for the creation of the Washington State Flag Redesign Committee. The committee would be responsible for developing a new flag that better reflects Washington’s shared history, cultural diversity, and natural resources.
The proposed design would be selected through public engagement efforts, including outreach to schools, community groups, and tribal organizations.
Washington’s current flag, adopted in 1923, features a green field with the state seal—an image of George Washington—at its center.
Critics argue that the design is difficult to reproduce and does not effectively capture the state’s character.
According to the bill’s text, the portrait of Washington has “limited historical connection to the state itself,” and the flag’s overall aesthetic is outdated.
The North American Vexillological Association ranked Washington’s flag 47th out of 72 U.S. state, territorial, and Canadian provincial flags in a 2001 survey, primarily due to its use of a seal on a solid background—a design element common in many state flags but often regarded as ineffective. Other states, including Mississippi and Utah, have recently redesigned their flags to better represent modern identities.
Under HB 1938, the redesign committee would include members from the Washington State Arts Commission, state legislators, historians, designers, tribal representatives, and citizen appointees from different regions.
The committee’s mandate includes reviewing submissions, selecting finalists, and ultimately adopting a single design for a statewide referendum.
If enacted, the bill requires the new flag to be adopted by July 1, 2028, with a public vote determining whether it replaces the existing design.
The bill’s first public hearing is scheduled for February 18 before the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee, with a final committee vote set for February 21.
