Republicans want to honor George Washington. Democrats want to remove George Washington from the state flag.
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Republicans want to honor George Washington. Democrats want to remove George Washington from the state flag.
‘We must remember the heroes of our nation’s past and present,’ says Abell
In a stark contrast of legislative priorities, historical appreciation, and public expectations, dueling proposals introduced in the Washington State House of Representatives have people talking.
Democrats have introduced House Bill 1938 which would create the Washington State Flag Redesign Committee to lead efforts to create a new flag. This would specifically include removing George Washington because, as the bill states, George Washington has limited historical connection to the state itself and does not reflect the unique character of the state or the diversity and values of all Washingtonians.
Rep. Hunter Abell, R-Inchelium, condemned the bill and instead offered legislation to honor George Washington by renaming Presidents Day to George Washington’s Birthday (Observed), as it was originally known.
“Attacking one our greatest, most respected Founding Fathers is historically illiterate. And if people can’t see that, they need to visit some memorials and take a look at how our nation has traditionally treated this American hero,” said Abell. “George Washington holds a special place in our nation’s history and even the very fabric of who we are as a people. So many schools, streets, counties, institutions, military bases, roads and bridges are named after our first Founding Father. To be the only state in the nation to be named after a president is a distinct honor. One that we should not take for granted and we certainly should not be ashamed of or attempt to eliminate him from our flag.”
Abell’s proposal, House Bill 1446, would officially change the state holiday of Presidents Day to George Washington’s Birthday (Observed), as it was recognized from 1879 to 1968. At the federal level, even though the term “Presidents Day” is widely used, no law officially changed the name and the holiday remains Washington’s Birthday. His legislation would cost the state nothing while the Democrat proposal to create the committee and change the flag would require the expenditure of tax-payer dollars.
“Washington’s passion, leadership, and understanding of what the Continental Army was fighting for are more than enough to warrant continued recognition and celebration,” continued Abell. “His vision for this ‘grand experiment’ called the United States of America should be a uniting factor for all Washingtonians.”
Abell also expressed his concern that this effort to remove Washington from the flag might just be the beginning of changing the state’s name entirely.
“It feels like this could be a litmus test to see if the public will just go along with this change to the flag,” said Abell. “The shift to do away with our history, our past, who we were as a nation and how we’ve grown through the good times and bad, is insulting. It makes me wonder if this is the beginning of an effort to change the name of our state. If we remove George Washington from the flag, what’s next? Removing him from our state entirely by changing the name of the forty-second state?
“We must remember the heroes of our nation’s past and present. They are part of what makes this nation, this melting pot of ideas, nationalities, hopes and dreams, such an amazing and unique country,” continued Abell. “We should never forget the man who was ‘first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.’
The 105-day, 2025 legislative session ends on April 27.
