OF STATE'S OFFICE ANNOUNCED A CONTEST TO DESIGN A NEW STATE FLAG. LAST YEAR, WE TOLD YOU THE STATE PASSED A LAW TO CREATE A COMMISSION TO REPLACE THE CURRENT ONE. STATE CAPITOL REPORTER THEODORA KOULOUVARIS IS LIVE IN OUR CAPITOL NEWSROOM. THEODORA, WHEN CAN PEOPLE START SENDING IN SUBMISSIONS? SEPTEMBER THIRD. AND YOU CAN SEND IN YOUR IDEAS ONLINE OR THROUGH THE MAIL. THOSE INVOLVED IN THE COMMISSION SAY ITS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STATE'S HISTORY AND FEEL PROUD. ILLINOIS' STATE FLAG IS MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS OLD DISPLAYING THE STATE'S SEAL. OUR STATE FLAG IS IS IMPORTANT. IT'S SYMBOLIC. IT HAS TREMENDOUS HISTORY. BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, THERE HASN'T BEEN MUCH OF A CHANGE SINCE 1915. BUT NOW YOU WILL HAVE A SAY IN WHAT A NEW STATE FLAG COULD LOOK LIKE. A NEW STATE COMMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS. FOR FAR TOO LONG, WE'VE DENIGRATED ILLINOIS. THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN REALLY POINT TO AND SAY, HEY, MAYBE IF WE GET A NEW FLAG, IT'S GOING TO BE A POINT OF PRIDE FOR PEOPLE. HERE'S WHAT THE PROCESS OF POTENTIALLY GETTING A NEW STATE FLAG LOOKS LIKE: ANYONE IN ILLINOIS CAN SEND IN A DESIGN. THEN THE COMMISSION WILL PICK TEN. THOSE LIVING IN THE STATE WILL THEN GET TO VOTE ON WHICH DESIGN IS THEIR FAVORITE. I THINK THAT IT WILL GIVE PEOPLE A REASON TO GET EXCITED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT ILLINOIS, EXCITED ABOUT STATE GOVERNMENT, EXCITED ABOUT YOU KNOW, OUR HERITAGE AND OUR HISTORY THE COMMISSION WILL TAKE THE FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AND PUT IT IN A REPORT. THEN, LAWMAKERS WILL VOTE ON WHETHER THE STATE SHOULD ADOPT A NEW ONE OR KEEP THE CURRENT FLAG. THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, THE COMMISSION IS REACHING OUT TO SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES HOPING TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THE CONTEST. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FUTURE OF ILLINOIS TO DESIGN SOMETHING POTENTIALLY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SEE FOR A LONG TIME. BUT ALSO, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE IN ILLINOIS AND AND HAVE THEM TAKE PRIDE IN OUR STATE AS WELL. THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE IS LEADING THE COMMISSION. WE ASKED ALEXI GIANNOULIAS WHAT HE WOULD WANT TO SEE ON A NEW STATE FLAG HIS RESPONSE: I AM A SPORTS GUY, SO I WISH THERE IS A WAY WE CAN INCLUDE SOME SPORTS. I'M AN ABRAHAM LINCOLN FAN. SO I THINK SOMETHING MAYBE SHOWING THEIR HISTORY BRING A LITTLE IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT A DESIGN, THEY'RE ARE SOME GUIDELINES YOU'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW. FOR THE FULL LIST VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WCIA.COM. REPORTING LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD, THEODORA KOULOUVARIS WCIA3 YOUR LOCAL NEWS LEADER. YOU CAN BEGIN SENDING IN SUBMISSIONS SEPTEMBER THIRD. THE DEADLINE TO DO SO IS OCTOBER EIGHTEENTH. VOTING ON THE TEN DESIGNS WILL BEGIN JANUARY FIRST AND LAST ABOUT TWO MONTHS.