East Central Reporter

State Representative Adam Niemerg provided an update on efforts to save or redesign the state flag in an October 30 Facebook post. He said, "The Illinois Flag Commission will select the top 10 designs, which will then go to the public for a vote."

"To date, there are 436 people who have signed the petition to Save our State Flag," said Niemerg, according to Facebook. "The Illinois Flag Commission will select the top 10 designs, which will then go to the public for a vote between the 10 new designs, the current state flag, or two previous Illinois flags."

According to Niemerg's Facebook post, he shared a link to a petition supporting the retention of the current Illinois State flag. The petition reads: "JB and the Democrats are pushing to change our state flag Let's send them a clear message: DON'T MESS WITH OUR STATE FLAG!"

Screenshot of State Rep. Adam Niemerg's Oct. 30 Facebook post | State Representative Adam Niemerg Facebook page

Niemerg also referenced a WQAD article regarding nearly 5,000 entries received in a contest to redesign the state flag. According to the article published on October 29, the Secretary of State’s office received 4,844 entries for potential new designs. The report states that the Illinois Flag Commission will narrow down these entries to 10 designs for public voting starting in January. Once voting concludes, results will be presented to the state legislature, which will decide whether to adopt a new flag, return to a previous version, or retain the current one.

In its October 29 article, WQAD quoted Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias from a press release announcing the number of entries received. "I’m thrilled by the number of submissions the commission has received, as well as the excitement that this project has generated. I can’t wait to see which designs the commission selects for public voting. The contest has encouraged us all to reflect on what makes us proud to be Illinoisans, resulting in some great stories and unique designs reflecting what our state represents," Giannoulias said.

Niemerg was first elected in 2020 and describes himself as a "fiscal conservative focused on reducing taxes and fighting for limited government and pension reform," according to his official biography. He is also employed as a senior claims adjuster with Country Financial and holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University.