House education committee advances bill limiting classroom flags to U.S., state and certain official banners

The Idaho House Committee on Education on Jan. 23 voted to introduce RS31963, a bill from Rep. Ted Hill that would limit flags displayed in public school classrooms to the American flag, certain state flags and other official national flags unless a nation is in active hostilities with the United States.

Representative Ted Hill, R-District 14, told the committee the bill “closes the gap” from an earlier version and makes the American flag the primary display. “We will have the safe flag and the American flag is the primary and all other political, ideological and religious flags will not be allowed,” Hill said. He added the bill includes an exception for state flags and certain national flags when the United States is not in hostilities with that nation.

Supporters and questioners sought clarity on what the bill means by “conflict” and who would decide whether a nation is in hostile action. Hill said the statute uses the term in a hostilities sense — a kinetic war where “bullets are flying and people are dying” — and that the bill contains only a “shall” requirement with no fines or criminal penalties. “There’s no penalty on this. It’s almost like I’m leaning on the reasonability and the patriotism and the school board would decide that,” Hill said, adding that local school boards would be responsible for monitoring compliance.

Rep. Church raised classroom instruction concerns, noting advanced placement courses that display foreign flags for comparative government lessons. Hill said instructional displays tied to coursework would be allowed when the U.S. is not in open hostilities with that nation. “So you gotta talk about China, that’s fine…we are not in open hostilities. The only ones we’re really actually fighting in the background…are North Koreans, the Russians and the Chinese,” Hill said in explaining the line he intends.

The committee moved RS31963 to the second-reading calendar on a voice vote; committee minutes record that “the ayes clearly have it.” No roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

The bill’s text, as discussed in committee, keeps the broad prohibition on political, ideological and religious flags while clarifying that state and certain national flags remain allowed unless the nation is in active hostilities with the United States. The presenter and members repeatedly emphasized the bill contains no enforcement penalties and relies on local school boards for implementation.

The committee will consider RS31963 again when it is scheduled for a formal hearing and second reading.