The committee heard a large number of in‑person and remote witnesses on House Bill 1938, a proposal to create a public process and commission to consider a new Washington state flag.

Supporters told the committee the current flag — the state seal printed on a green field — is overly complex, hard to reproduce and fails to function as a unifying civic symbol. Graphic designers and vexillographers said simpler, iconic flags encourage civic pride and are easier and cheaper to reproduce. Bradley Lockhart, a graphic artist who designed Bellingham’s city flag, described local flag redesigns that became popular civic symbols and said the moment is right for a public process. Several young witnesses and vexillology hobbyists said the bill does not require changing the state seal or the state name, only a public process to produce a new flag design.

Opponents urged caution. Some said the proposal would needlessly divert attention from other state priorities and could be divisive. Jeff Pack of Washington Citizens Against Unfair Taxes called the bill an extravagance given budget shortfalls; other witnesses urged a slower, public design contest rather than immediate legislative action. Some testifiers emphasized the historical connection of the current flag to the state’s name and to a locally created seal.

Multiple witnesses asked the committee to make the process broadly participatory, including tribal engagement and a public competition of submitted designs. Several testifiers noted that other states and dozens of Washington cities have recently reconsidered or redesigned flags, and proponents pointed to those examples as a model.

Why it matters: A revised state flag could become a widely used civic symbol and affect production and licensing costs; the debate also raises cultural and historical questions about representation.

Next steps: The committee heard more than a dozen witnesses in a compressed schedule and closed the hearing without voting. Members signaled they may refine the bill’s language about public participation, tribal consultation and whether the state seal or name would be retained.