This was the official flag of the city of Green Bay, up until about a decade ago.
Oh dear.
Oh, yeah, Alaska would probably be next on my list.
I agree with NM and TX being top tier. I’d add the new Minnesota flag to that tier. Or perhaps just below it. If they’d kept the original proposed flag, it would definitely be top tier. (They changed the star and removed the horizontal stripes before they adopted it.)
But Arizona’s flag has one thing that keeps it from being top tier. The copper color of the star is not distinct enough from the red rays it borders on. They either need to make it a color distinct from all its bordering colors or give it a white border.
I always get the Texas flag and the Chile flag confused.
I get Monaco’s and Indonesia’s flags confused. Also Chad’s and Romania’s.
Living in Phoenix, I thought the star stood out just fine and the copper made the flag unique.
Looking at it from a distance under less than ideal conditions will make the red and copper not be distinct. Even in some renderings I’ve seen in various places, the two don’t come out distinct.
Yeah, looking at it online, I do see what you’re saying, and now it’s gonna bug me. 
It could use a little more contrast or, as you say, a white border or something to make it visually distinct. It does kind of bleed into the red yellow of the top half.
I give them props for not taking themselves too seriously.
I can appreciate the vex ideals. And exceptional designs - such as NM’s, are wonderful. But - IMO - none of these IL proposals are exceptional. If someone comes up with an exceptional idea - by all means, adopt it. But don’t accept a mediocre design just for the sake of change.
It is funny how personal opinion varies. Today’s Chicago Trib had an article on the proposed flags. Unsolicited, my wife just commented on how much she likes the current flag and wishes they do not get rid of the eagle. Tastes certainly differ. I’m not sure how much they can be described as good or bad.
Maybe I’m too much of a traditionalist - tho I try to NOT reject change in a kneejerk manner. Instead, I wish change to be an improvement. Not just for the sake of change. For all of its shortcomings, the IL flag is recognizable (by those who recognize such things) as the flag of IL. The new ones just impress me as flavor-of-the-month rebranding. I suspect that they will seem dated and meaningless quite soon - certainly fewer years than we’ve had the current flag. Then, do we adopt yet ANOTHER flag?
LSL - were you trying to express an outlandish opinion, or do you really feel that way about the Chicago flag? I always thought it was cool looking, and appreciated the meaning of the lines and stars. And I thought vex societies agreed that it was a good design. But maybe my appreciation simply reflects lifelong familiarity.
Let’s compare. Might I suggest an update?
Thinking about it, they should give the star a yellow border. Same color as the rays. That means not introducing an additional color. Besides, a white border will blend into the yellow rays at a distance anyway, so don’t bother to make them distinct.
If they want to keep the current look and feel of the state, they could simplify it by just having an eagle and a shield with 21 stars representing Illinois as the 21st state.
Seems apropos for this thread to observe that when considering the best attributes of Switzerland, their flag is a big plus!
I actually suspect that, despite the amateurish design, they were taking it seriously back when it was created. It features (awkwardly) what the city is known for:
- The Packers football team
- The dairy industry
- The paper-making industry
- The fishing and shipping industries
- The Northwoods
Voting is now open for the Illinois flag. Go to here and hit the “Vote Now” button. You can vote for one flag once every 24 hours.
My only connection with Illinois is that my family drove through it about fifty-five years ago. We may have stopped for gas(or to pee).
And they want me to vote on their flag?
What’s wrong with Flaggy McFlagface winning the vote? 
Amazingly, my only connection with Illinois is almost exactly the same, the only difference is mine was 7 years earlier. (I assume making a flight connection at O’Hare doesn’t count as a connection to the state.)
Didn’t stop me from voting on it. I’ll probably vote again for my second choice. I’m trying to encourage good flag making.
Why would Illinois want non-Illinoisians to vote on the flag?