San Joaquin supes to establish committee studying countys commemorative flag policy

San Joaquin County's Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to establish a committee tasked with reviewing the county's commemorative flag policy. This move follows the contentious rejection of a Pride flag proposal in 2023, which failed to secure the necessary four votes for approval. Supervisor Mario Gardea proposed the committee to implement a more structured approach for considering flag requests, as the board has faced numerous applications from community groups. Under the current policy, commemorative flags must be approved by at least four of the five supervisors, limiting their display to official expressions of the county. County Counsel Edward Kiernan cautioned the committee to remain vigilant against potential requests from hate groups, citing the Confederate flag as an example.

Gardea and Supervisor Sonny Dhaliwal will be the committee members, tasked with returning to the board with recommendations. The board aims for a more consistent and thoughtful framework in evaluating flag requests. Ding's opposition highlights ongoing divisions within the board regarding flag policies.