LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Even though the official Michigan State flag with its coat of arms has been around without controversy since 1911, at least one Michigan Democratic legislator thinks that changes are needed.

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According to Midland Daily News, State Rep. Phil Skaggs, (D-East Grand Rapids) wants to see the flag flown in Michigan yards more and thinks a re-design will do the trick. He’s reportedly going to propose creating a commission to come up with a new flag instead of just having an old one that threw the state seal on a dark blue background.

Over the years, Michigan has had three different flags since it became a state and each one featured a coat of arms which dates back to 1835. The coat of arms has a shield held by moose and an elk and includes the Latin phrases “Tuebor,” meaning “I will defend” (referring to Michigan’s frontier position), as well as “Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam Circumspice,” meaning “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” Also included is the national motto “e pluribus unum” which means “out of many, one.”

In the shield, the sun is rising over a lake with a man on a peninsula raising his hand representing peace and holding a long gun showing we are ready to defend our state and nation. Above the shield is an eagle, our national bird. In its claws the eagle holds three arrows and an olive branch with 13 olives. The arrows show that our nation is ready to defend its principles. The olive branch means we want peace. The olives stand for the first 13 states.

Lewis Cass, Michigan’s second (non-acting) Territorial governor created the design which was adopted at the Constitutional Convention of 1835. According to the state of Michigan’s website, Michigan’s state flag was first unfurled at the laying of the corner stone at the monument of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg on the Fourth of July, 1865.

The “Coat-of-Arms and Flag  Act 209 of 1911” adopted and prescribed the design of the state coat-of-arms and the state flag and their use. However, regardless of the flag’s historical significance and representation of Michigan, Skaggs wants to introduce his bill at the end of April to change it. The bill would have a commission create a new flag design to submit to the Legislature to vote on after taking public input and working with experts in design.

Skaggs says, “We see in other places that a strong symbol leads to greater pride, greater civic engagement.” He went on to say, “One of the things we’re trying to accomplish here in Michigan is to keep people in the state. If a flag and a symbol gives us a sense of belonging, then I think it helps in that process.”

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Skagg continued, “The current flag harkens back to 150 years ago when most state flags were simply what are called SOB flags: seal-on-a-bedsheet. The seal on our flag makes sense as a seal, when it’s on a piece of paper or a podium, but it doesn’t make sense as a flag that’s flying at a distance.”

State Rep. Sarah Lightner, (R-Springport) believes that the current flag already represents the state and doesn’t need changing. It has animals from our time-honored tradition. The elk on here representing our hunting heritage.”

A similar proposal to change the state flag was introduced in 2016 but it never went anywhere. Lightner says, “I really don’t think we need to spend time on forming a commission to change our flag because it doesn’t look pretty on a single-color backdrop. That’s where I’m at right now. We have other work that needs to be done in Michigan.” However Skaggs says, “Michigan is a beautiful and unique state and we deserve a beautiful and unique flag.”