Illinois’ current state flag has remained largely unchanged for more than a century, but Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker paved the way to a new banner for the Land of Lincoln by signing a bill this week.
Senate Bill 1818, appropriately named after the year Illinois became a state, creates a commission to evaluate the state’s current flag, and decide whether or not it is time to design a new one.
Pritzker officially applied his signature to the bill on Monday after it was approved by the General Assembly.
Here’s what we know about the legislation.
What is the History of Illinois’ Flag?
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois’ first state flag was adopted in 1915, and it looked very similar to the way the banner looks today.
It simply used the Great Seal of the State of Illinois, which pictures a bald eagle holding a banner that reads “State Sovereignty, National Union.” It was modeled after the Great Seal of the United States.
The dates “1818” and “1868” on the seal represent the year Illinois was established as a state and the year that the state’s seal was redesigned, according to IDNR.
The original flag was tweaked in Sept. 1969, with the word “Illinois” added to the bottom.
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Why Design a New Flag?
State Sen. Doris Turner, who sponsored Senate Bill 1818, called history “breathing and ever-evolving” in comments made after the Senate passed a bill to establish the commission, and says it is her hope that designing a new flag will inspire renewed civic pride among the state’s residents.
“We need to ensure government is evolving with the times, so people are engaged and part of what is going on across this state,” she said in a statement.
She also cited the diverse makeup of the state, including a large metropolis like Chicago and communities both large and small that are an economic engine for the Midwest.
“Illinois is a diverse state made up of rural, urban and suburban communities, and is known for its agriculture, strong workforce, home of Abraham Lincoln and more,” she said. “Our flag doesn’t show that. It’s time we have a flag that truly represents our state.”
How Would the Process Work?
The bill creates a group called the Illinois Flag Commission, which would make a recommendation as to whether or not the state should design a new flag. That process would conclude on Sept. 1 of this year.
If the commission decides to replace the flag, then new designs would be accepted and ultimately a recommendation would be made to the General Assembly.
Which Other States Have Recently Changed Their Flags?
Illinois is largely modeling its flag-design process after that of Utah, which created a task force in 2021 that solicited designs from libraries, schools and other institutions.
More than 7,000 designs were ultimately submitted.
Elsewhere, Georgia and Mississippi have both designed new flags that eliminated the use of the Confederate Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, otherwise known as the “Stars and Bars.”
Louisiana and South Carolina also made slight changes to the designs of their flags in recent years.
When Would the Process End?
If the commission recommends that Illinois adopt a new flag, a recommendation would be made to the General Assembly on a new design by no later than Dec. 3, 2024, according to the bill.
