An in-person look at the 20 Utah state flag semifinalists

The 20 semifinal flag designs were presented in front of the Utah Capitol Thursday for an in-person look.

What they're saying: "Until now, Utahns have never had a chance to weigh in or offer their ideas for what their state flag should look like," Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said.

• Gareth Fry, a member of the design review subcommittee, acknowledged change is difficult and many people might not be enthusiastic about the new look.
• "But I hope that over time we will look back and remember that this truly was a statewide conversation and that together, we designed a new way to convey our shared love of Utah," he said.

Meet a designer: Skyline High School senior Benjamin Benson said he was thrilled to see his design.

• The 17-year-old Millcreek resident's proposed flag features the state flower, the sego lily, and an eight-point star to represent the eight tribal nations in Utah.

Background: State lawmakers Sen. Dan McCay (R-Riverton) and Rep. Steve Handy (R-Layton) co-sponsored legislation to create the Utah State Flag Task Force in 2021.

• Over 5,000 designs were submitted this year before the task force narrowed it down to the top 20 earlier this month.

What's next: Henderson encouraged the public to visit flag.utah.gov to provide feedback until Oct. 5.

• The design review committee will then consider the suggestions, make tweaks and send three to four designs to the task force.
• By early winter, the task force will suggest a finalist for the Utah Legislature.