- Utah was the first state to ban the display of various flags in public schools and government buildings.
- Idaho passed a bill banning certain flags from being displayed in schools.
- Other states such as Florida and Arizona have introduced similar legislation.
Last week, Utah became the first state to ban the display of most flags in public schools and government buildings, but a few other states might soon follow suit.
A bill that only applies to flags in schools was signed in Idaho last week, per The Associated Press. But another bill is being advanced by Idaho Republicans to expand the ban to government buildings as well.
Lawmakers in Florida have proposed a ban on pride flags and other flags that display political viewpoints in schools and public buildings. This bill comes after similar ones that have failed in the state’s past two legislative sessions.
Other states, including Arizona, Wisconsin and Illinois, also have similar legislation working through state legislatures, per The Washington Post.
Generally, these bills prohibit public entities or employees in government buildings from displaying any flags that are not specifically exempted, per The Washington Post.
Some of the bills ban flags in all government buildings and some are restricted to just schools, according to the AP. Criticism against these bills has been focused on the ban of pride flags, but they also prohibit political flags supporting candidates, parties or movements. For example, flags with Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan would also be banned.
Those in favor of the flag bans say that the policies are meant to encourage political neutrality, according to the The Washington Post. Critics argue that the bans undermine free expression.