A final design is chosen for the new Utah state flag

After thousands of designs were submitted by the public, and well over a year of consideration, the Utah State Flag Commission selected a final design for the new Utah State Flag that will be voted on by the Utah Legislature in Jan. 2023, according to KSL. 

The final design was decided on by the committee in a flag commission meeting on Thursday. The new flag’s design Includes a yellow beehive on a blue background, surrounded by white mountain peaks with a red banner running across the bottom third of the flag. KSL’s Carter Williams explained the symbolism of the flag in a tweet. 

Beehive: The beehive and blue background of the flag symbolize Utah’s “natural resources, such as lakes and sky, and principles such as knowledge, freedom, and optimism.” 

Hexagon: Around the beehive is a gold hexagon rim, which is said to represent strength and unity. 

Mountains: The flag includes a white mountain range to represent the state’s landscape. 

Red rocks: Across the bottom of the flag is a red banner, which stands for Utah’s red rocks in the southern part of the state. 

Star: Located under the beehive is an eight-point star, representing hope and the “state’s eight sovereign Tribal Nations.” The star is located at the base of the beehive, to symbolize the foundation of our state. 

Gov. Spencer Cox states that the current Utah state flag will not be retired and will become a ceremonial one, repurposed as the official flag of the governor’s office, according to KSL. 

Utah’s journey to a new flag began in 2021 when the Utah State Legislature passed a bill to redesign the state flag. In correspondence, Gov. Cox, Lt. Gov. Deidre M. Henderson, and other state lawmakers launched the “More than a Flag” initiative, which was focused on a redesign that would reflect the values of Utahns, per the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. 
Over 40,000 Utahns submitted feedback on the creation of the new flag Fox 13 reported.