(The Lion) — Democrats in the state named for the country’s first president want to remove him from their flag.

George Washington has been on the state flag since 1923, but House Bill 1938 in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives would change that.

State Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, is spearheading the effort, alongside Reps. Julia Reed, D-Seattle, and Greg Nance, D-Bainbridge Island.

“While George Washington is an important national figure, he has limited historical connection to the state itself,” the bill says. “This makes his image less meaningful as a symbol for the state.”

If passed, the bill would establish a committee to create a new design by July 1, 2028. Then, a November 2028 ballot question would ask voters to approve the new it.

If voters disapproved of the new flag design, the current flag would not change, according to MyNorthwest.

Emmett O’Connell, a liberal blogger for the Olympia Time, supports the measure. He thinks the state’s flag should better represent local identity.

“It gives us the chance to engage the public in a meaningful way and to choose a symbol that truly represents Washingtonians,” he wrote. “Our state deserves a flag that is not just something we inherited, but something we can be inspired by. Let’s seize this moment to create a flag that reflects the beauty, diversity, and spirit of Washington. After all, symbols matter, and so do we.”

However, the bill received negative feedback on social media.

One X user posted: “Might as well change the name to Cascadia. A real insult to those east of the Cascades who wanted to break away from the Olympia swamp… This is what happens when you haven’t elected a Republican Governor since the Reagan era!”

Another user wrote, “Democrats just keep giving more and more evidence that they’re anti-American.”

A user from neighboring Oregon sarcastically posted, “Why not just change the name of the entire State then…that’s probably next 😒.”

President Donald Trump predicted in 2017 that tearing down Confederate-era monuments would lead to liberals removing statues and symbols honoring the Founding Fathers.

“Many of those people were there to protest the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee,” Trump said. “So this week, it is Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jackson is coming down. I wonder, is it George Washington next week? And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You know, you really do have to ask yourself, where does it stop?”