|
Senate Honors Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
JUNEAU - The Alaska Senate passed unanimously Senate Bill 174 to honor those who have lost their lives in service to our country and communities. The bill would establish in statute the Honor and Remember and Honor and Sacrifice Flags and allow them to be flown at public buildings.
“The loss of a family member is difficult, made even more difficult when that person was lost in the line of duty,” said the bill’s sponsor, Senator Jesse Bjorkman (R-Nikiski). “While monuments and memorials have been built to recognize those who lost their lives in service to their country or community, most people will never see them. By establishing these flags in state law, it provides more opportunities to honor those that have made the greatest sacrifice, as well as the ongoing loss that their families must endure.”
The Honor and Remember Flag would recognize those who lost their lives while serving in the U.S. armed forces, and the Honor and Sacrifice Flag would recognize those who lost their lives while serving as a police officer or firefighter. Senate Bill 174 designates in state law the forms these flags must take, as well as where and when they may be flown. The bill does not mandate their display or allow a state employee to be required to report to work solely for the purpose of displaying the flags. As a result, there would be no cost to the State of Alaska to implement the bill.
Twenty-seven states have adopted the Honor and Remember Flag as their symbol of recognition for military service members who have died in the line of duty protecting and defending our liberties.
Senate Bill 174 now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
###
| 
