Utah Senate passes bill to limit controversial flag displays on government property

The Utah House of Representatives has passed a bill to limit controversial flag displays on government property such as public college campuses.

H.B. 77, the Flag Display Amendments, would only allow certain approved flags to be featured, including the American flag, the Utah state flag, a military flag, or an official flag of a college or university.

[RELATED: Florida bill to ban state properties, schools from displaying political flags moves forward]

The bill sponsor, State Representative Trevor Lee, told Campus Reform that he is confident the bill will receive the Senate’s support and move on to the governor’s desk for a signature. 

“There is tons of support for this as the vast majority of Utahns believe in political neutrality for schools and government entities,” Lee said. 

“[O]nly woke activists that want to push political ideologies and agendas are against this bill,” Lee added. 

The representative also stated that the legislation would “bring [p]olitical neutrality across the state as it pertains to flying flags.”

Those who violate the bill will be subject to $500 fines for each day they are in violation.

H.B. 77 also “requires the attorney general to defend and the state to hold harmless an individual acting under color of state law to enforce the flag display statute within the public education system, and provides severability.”

[RELATED: Harvard faculty call on school to commit to free inquiry]

During the debate on the House floor, Representative Lee also said that the legislation intends to promote political neutrality in state-sponsored schools and universities. 

“As many flags have become symbols of ideologies or political agendas from the left and the right,” he stated. “We would like to keep that stuff out of the classroom.”