Senator wants only American-made flags sold in country
by Marc Kovac
Capital Bureau Chief
Retailers that sell U.S. or Ohio flags made in other countries would face possible jail time and fines, under legislation proposed by one state lawmaker.
"Not only are our flags being manufactured outside of the United States, but a large number of foreign-made U.S. flags are made in China," said Sen. Joy Padgett, a Republican from Coshocton. "The very thought that the very symbol representing freedom from oppression could be made by a child worker in a sweatshop earning pennies a day is, to me, reprehensible."
Padgett provided sponsor testimony April 15 on Senate Bill 316 before her chamber's State and Local Government and Veterans Affairs Committee.
The legislation stemmed from a hardware store in her district that contacted her office after the state of Minnesota passed a comparable bill; the constituent asked Padgett to do the same at the Ohio Statehouse.
SB 316 would ban the retail sale of U.S. or Ohio flags made outside U.S. borders. Those found guilty of doing so would face third-degree misdemeanor charges, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a maximum $500 fine.
Padgett indicated she planned to amend the legislation to include POW/MIA flags.
"Many of the flags we see today at these parades are not made in the country they represent," she said. "While the American and Ohio flags are just two simple examples of the increasing number of items that are made in other countries, I believe that halting the sale of foreign-made U.S. flags is absolutely paramount."
Marc Kovac is the Dix Newspapers Capital Bureau chief.