Des Moines, Iowa — It’s a design that dates back to the Revolutionary War, and more recently, some have used the flag as a symbol of limited government.
Called the Gadsen flag, it’s a yellow flag, with a coiled rattlesnake bearing the words “Don’t Tread On Me”, and now a bill that would let Iowans pay extra for a license plate that bears the that message and image has cleared a Senate subcommittee. If SF47 becomes law, a specialty Iowa license plate in the image of the yellow Gadsden Flag would be created, with a three inch tall coiled rattlesnake on the left side and the phrase “Don’t Tread on Me” along the bottom. Republican Senator Scott Webster of Bettendorf says he voted to advance the bill out of a subcommittee to continue discussing the proposal.
Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines, is urging caution.
Senator Mike Klimesh, a Republican from Spillville, says he’s not sure whether the bill will get approved in the Senate Transportation Committee, but it’s now eligible for debate there. About a dozen states sell Gadsden Flag speciality license plates, including Missouri and Kansas. It was flown at tea party protests against former President Obama’s Obamacare law and it was among many banners carried into the U.S. Capitol during protests two years ago, on January 6th.
