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California Senate adopts Flag Day resolution amid dispute over upside‑down flag
Summary
The California State Senate unanimously adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 74 recognizing Flag Day, but the floor debate was interrupted by a dispute after a senator displayed an upside‑down U.S. flag as a sign of distress. The chair's ruling on the display was appealed and upheld by a recorded vote.
The California State Senate adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 74 recognizing Flag Day, after extended floor debate that included a dispute over an upside‑down American flag displayed on a senator's desk.
Senator Cecilia Aguiar‑Curry Ochoa Bogue presented SCR 74, saying, "I rise to present SCR 74, which recognizes 06/14/2025 as Flag Day." The resolution passed on the floor with the chair announcing "Ayes 36. No 0. The resolution is adopted."
The vote came after several senators spoke in favor of the resolution and about the meaning of the flag. Senator Mike Choi said, "The American flag symbolizes the unity of a nation representing a collective strength of all Americans, a symbol of freedom and justice that we strive to uphold." Senator Brian Jones urged decorum and calm, asking colleagues to "tone things down" in remarks preceding the resolution.
Debate on the resolution was interrupted when Senator Alvarado Gill raised a point of order under Senate rules, citing "questions of personal privilege, section 2 22," and asked the body to address a senator who had the American flag upside down on her desk. Senator Smallwood‑Cuevas defended her action on the floor, saying, "I wanna start by saying that I turned my flag in distress as an American because what is happening in this country, what is happening in my city makes me feel distressed as an American." The dispute included an appeal of the chair's handling of the matter; Senator Strickland stated, "I would like to, appeal the ruling of the chair allowing a member to put a flag to go upside down from this chamber." The Senate then held a recorded vote on whether to uphold the chair's ruling; the chair's ruling was upheld by voice and roll call with the chair later announcing "Aye 28. No 8. The ruling of the chair is upheld."
Following the votes and extended remarks about the meaning and symbolism of the flag, Senator Ochoa Bogue closed debate by asking for the "I" vote; the secretary recorded the final passage of SCR 74. The resolution text as presented cites historical presidential Flag Day proclamations and recognizes 06/14/2025 as Flag Day.
The floor action combined formal consideration of the resolution with a substantive floor dispute over decorum and protest symbols; the appeal and its outcome were recorded in the Senate journal as part of the day’s proceedings.
