This is my serious proposal for a new Washington State flag. No, not really. This is my proposal for the flag of movement to replace our universally admitted to be bad state flag.
Get it? We’re putting the cart before the horse. I am hilarious.
Anyway.
New Washington State Flags and Why
So far, we Washington State flag dislikers are too interested in getting to the point of replacing the state flag with something cooler (cool, cool, coooool, they’re all so cool) than realizing that replacing the state flag will take some work.
The state flag is an official state symbol determined by and managed by the state, specifically the Office of the Secretary of State.
Why is the Washington State flag terrible? This video does the best job explaining the concepts of flag design and why ours is just bad (a flag is not money). Watch the entire thing, it is pretty entertaining, but I linked to just the Washington State portion.
Process over Proposals
So, here is my serious proposal for a Washington State Flag Commission. Like many good things, I stole it. This proposal is based on a process recently undertaken in Minnesota to replace their reprehensible flag with something not only cooler, but something that falls into line with the rules of flag design (vexillology).
The Washington State Flag Redesign Commission would created by the state legislator, led by the Secretary of State (who overseas state symbols), and include a diverse group of members to ensure broad representation.
The Commission would set goals and create a design brief that outlining the vision and values for the new flag. Public engagement will be a priority, with a statewide design contest, outreach to schools and communities, and opportunities for public input.
After reviewing submissions, the Commission will select finalists and gather additional feedback. The final design will be put to a public vote during a general election, allowing Washingtonians to choose between the new flag and the current one.
Utah had a similar process recently, which culminated in a vote by the legislature. It is worth pointing out here, but a statewide vote seems more in line with how we work in Washington State.
I like this serious proposal for creating a flag commission. It offers a stepwise process for assessing who and what for creating a flag that tells a story of our state. It also offers a great lesson plan for teaching history and civics in our schools and community square. Thank you Emmett for helping move the debate into a productive space.