A new law initiated by State Rep. Robert Pritchard (R-Hinckley) gives county boards the legislative authority to fly the missing in action military flag over county courthouses.

Governor Rod Blagojevich signed House Bill 7236 into law July 8 after it received unanimous approval from the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“It was a bill I was encouraged to introduce based on contacts with people in the district,” Pritchard said. “In DeKalb County, the staff interpreted the federal law such that counties did not have permission to fly other flags with the United States flag. Obviously, the federal government has flown the POW/MIA flag on several occasions at the White House, but they have not given state or local governments the option to do that. So, when I came to Springfield, that was one of the wrongs in my mind that I wanted to rectify.”

At the DeKalb County Board meeting June 16, the board adopted Resolution R2004-43, “Amendment to the Facilities Policy.”

Eileen Dubin, DeKalb County Board District 8 representative and chair of the Democratic Party, said the amendment was to include that all questions referring to the flying of flags at half-mast would be handled by the presiding judge of DeKalb County.

“It was passed overwhelmingly,” Dubin said. “Almost everyone on the county board felt it was the proper way to show patriotism.”

The board also thought the new law was an appropriate way to respond to requests from various veterans groups in DeKalb County, said Jim MacMurdo, DeKalb County Board District 9 representative.

“I was very much in favor of this particular resolution because, again, the organizations who asked the DeKalb County Board to step forward made a public statement in support of the POW/MIAs from former wars,” MacMurdo said. “I think this was a strong action on the part of the board.”

“I think we really need, as a country, to remember those who are missing and who are still prisoners, and do everything we can to bring them home safely or to bring closure to the issue of their missing,” Pritchard said. “I think anyone who risks [his or her] life for this country deserves our full respect and honor, not only those who are prisoners or missing, but those who have served and are serving.”