Sponsors ask committee to limit flags on state property to official emblems

Sponsors of House Bill 602 asked the House General Government Committee to approve a rule limiting flags displayed on state agency property to official and agency-approved emblems.

At a first hearing, a sponsor told the committee the measure would allow only ‘‘The United States flag, the Ohio State flag, the POW/MIA flag, and approved agency flags’’ to be flown on state agency property and that the bill is intended to keep government-owned space neutral. The sponsor said a video of a Somali flag hung from a Statehouse flagpole prompted the legislation and that an amendment is being prepared to add the Ohio Statehouse and public libraries to the bill’s scope and to bar protesters from hanging signs or flags from state flagpoles or structures.

The bill’s backers emphasized that the proposal targets government speech, not private expression, saying "Ohioans remain fully free to express their views" but that government property should "reflect that shared identity, not a patchwork of messages." They argued the change would reduce inconsistency across state-owned sites.

Committee members asked whether the restriction would apply to local taxpayer-owned buildings such as county courthouses, village council buildings or library branches. A sponsor responded the intent is broad—"any taxpayer owned property"—and said local government properties could be covered; sponsors said they were open to clarifying language for local entities during amendment drafting.

Members also pressed for the bill’s effect on the governor’s authority to order flags: sponsors said the bill would codify which flags are flown at "state agency buildings" and would reduce unilateral discretion, framing the change as a fairness measure rather than a power grab.

The committee concluded the first hearing on HB 602 with no vote; sponsors said they would pursue clarifying amendments, including explicit language for the Statehouse grounds and public libraries.