Current Illinois state flag wins overwhelmingly in redesign contest
On Thursday, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced that the current state flag won the contest, following the five-week voting period. Out of almost 385,000 votes, 165,000 (43%) were cast for the current state flag. It also received more votes than the next top five designs combined.
Bill in Illinois statehouse would require standardized emergency plans for schools
In the contest, voters had the option to choose their favorite design from one of the Illinois Flag Commission's top 10 new designs, or one of the three former flags including the current design. The current flag has not had a major redesign over the course of the past century.
'Some may call it an SOB – a seal on a bedsheet – and the vexillogical community may hate it, but people overwhelmingly prefer our current state flag,' Giannoulias said. 'Thank you to everyone who made their voice heard on the future of this important symbol of state pride.'
The Illinois Flag Commission is also preparing a report going through its findings and recommendations to show the General Assembly by April 1. Following this presentation, lawmakers will vote on whether to adopt a new flag, return to a previous version or continue to have the same one.
Sponsored by State Senator Doris Turney (48th District–Springfield) and State Representative Kam Buckner (26th District–Chicago), Senate Bill 1818 was signed into law in 2023 by Governor JB Priztker. This action created the commission that looked into the public's potential want for a new state flag.
The commission then selected its top 10 finalists this past December from the 4,844 entries it received during the six-week submission period, which ended in October.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
a day ago
- NBC News
More than 1 in 4 trans people live in a state with a 'bathroom ban'
Nearly a decade after North Carolina passed its controversial 'bathroom ban,' sparking nationwide backlash and corporate boycotts of the state, transgender bathroom restrictions have made a resurgence. Nineteen states have laws that prohibit trans people from using the bathrooms that align with their gender identities in K-12 schools, and in many of those states the restrictions apply to other government-owned buildings as well. As a result, more than 1 in 4 trans people live in a state with a policy that restricts their bathroom use, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ think tank. These measures are similar to North Carolina's HB 2, a law enacted in 2016 that was widely referred to as the 'bathroom bill.' The law sparked nationwide protests and corporate boycotts, most notably from the NCAA, which moved seven championship sporting events out of the state that year. The General Assembly repealed HB 2 with a compromise bill in 2017 that placed a statewide moratorium on municipalities passing nondiscrimination ordinances until 2020, and the state hasn't passed a similar law since.
USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
French plan to recognize Palestinian state draws fire from Israel, US
PARIS/WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan drew angry rebukes from Israel and the United States. Macron, who unveiled the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France's intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convincing other partners to follow suit. "True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine," Macron said. "I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September." More: Israel and US recall teams from Gaza truce talks, US says Hamas not showing good faith Home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities, France will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state, potentially fuelling a movement so far dominated by smaller nations generally more critical of Israel. The news sparked anger in Israel and Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by one of Israel's closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy." In a post on X, he added, "A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. "Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as "a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism," adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a "Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence." More: More than 100 aid, rights groups call for action as hunger spreads in Gaza In response, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States "strongly rejects (Macron's) plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly." In a post on X, he said, "This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th." Earlier, Canada also pressed Israel to seek peace, with Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning its "failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza" and reiterating support for a two-state solution. Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave. More: Ms. Rachel says she won't work with anyone who hasn't spoken out about Gaza "Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith," he added. "We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza." In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed steps to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, even saying it could go against U.S. foreign policy interests and draw consequences. In June, Washington's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a U.S. foreign policy goal. President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a U.S. takeover of Gaza in February, that was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the U.N. as a proposal of "ethnic cleansing". Macron had been leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive, despite the pressure not to do so. More: UK, France and 23 other nations condemn Israel over 'inhumane killing' of civilians French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. The conference was postponed under U.S. pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which the closure of regional airspace made it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend. It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28 and July 29, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. CREATING MOMENTUM The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week's conference aimed to give the French team at the United Nations a framework to work with other countries that are also considering recognising a Palestinian state or have misgivings in doing so. Diplomats say Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. About 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week. Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have called "a nuclear bomb" for bilateral ties. Sources familiar with the matter say Israel's warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris' regional initiatives - even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group Hamas' deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognising a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas. Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority's Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Macron's decision reflected "France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state." (Reporting by John Irish; Additional Reporting by Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab in Cairo and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Clarence Fernandez)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
France to recognise Palestinian statehood defying US-Israel backlash
France faces sharp criticism from Israel and the US after announcing plans to recognise Palestinian statehood, in a bold move to revive peace efforts. In a contraversial diplomatic move, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will formally recognise the state of Palestine this September at the United Nations General Assembly. Sharing the news via social media platform X, Macron described the step as part of France's historic commitment to a 'just and lasting peace' in the Middle East. 'I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine,' Macron wrote in a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, which he also made public. 'I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.' Israel's war and settlements a strategy to block Palestinian state: legal expert Backlash from Israel, US This declaration positions France as the first major Western power to take such a step – potentially setting the stage for a broader shift in international recognition. Until now, most countries that have recognised Palestine tended to be smaller nations with more critical stances on Israeli policy – including Ireland, Spain and Norway Unsurprisingly, the move has triggered sharp backlash from both Israel and the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision, calling it a 'reward for terror' and warning that a Palestinian state under current conditions would threaten Israel's existence. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz went further, branding the decision 'a disgrace' and vowing to resist any efforts to establish a Palestinian state that could compromise Israeli security. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed similar concerns. Labeling Macron's decision 'reckless,' he said it bolstered Hamas and undermined hopes for peace. 'It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th,' he said in his own statement on X. Israel slams French plan to recognise Palestinian state as a 'prize for terror' Push for a two-state solution However, Macron appears undeterred. French officials have indicated that the announcement is designed to give fresh impetus to the long-stalled two-state solution, and to galvanise other nations into action. About 40 foreign ministers are expected in New York next week for a diplomatic conference aimed at discussing the way forward. France hopes its position will provide a framework for those countries that are on the fence about recognition. The path to this announcement hasn't been smooth. A planned UN conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia in June was postponed under US pressure, especially after regional tensions spiked during the brief Israel-Iran air war. The event has since been rescheduled as a ministerial gathering in late July, with another high-level meeting planned for the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September. In thanking France, Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said Macron's move 'reflects France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination.'
