FILE - In this Aug. 30, 2020 file photo, an unidentified man participates in a Blue Lives Matter rally in Kenosha, Wis. University of Wisconsin-Madison’s police chief has banned officers from using “Thin Blue Line” imagery while on duty. The move by Chief Kristen Roman follows criticism on social media of a “Thin Blue Line” flag displayed at the police department’s office. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

State Sen. Alexis Weik, R-Patchogue, is proposing state law recognize certain symbols as “symbols of hope” that can be displayed by local municipal entities.

Weik proposes including a provision in state law specifically allowing municipalities, fire districts, volunteer fire companies, police departments, and school districts are able to display “symbols of hope” including a thin blue line in support of law enforcement, a thin red line in support of the fire service, a thin gray line in support of corrections officers, a thin white line in support of EMS professionals, a thin purple line in support of security professionals, a thin yellow line in support of dispatchers, and a thin green line in support of military and conservation.

“Over the past several years, certain symbols, which are typically affixed to a flag, have been established to show support for first responders and associated personnel,” Weik wrote in her legislative justification. “The “thin blue line” has traditionally been associated with supporting law enforcement personnel and a “thin red line” has traditionally been associated with supporting the fire service. A number of other color-associated lines have been established to associate with supporting corrections officers, EMS professionals, security professionals, the military, dispatchers, and conservation officers. The supporters of those individuals, and the groups themselves, should be able to freely show their support by displaying these symbols of hope.”

Weik’s legislation, S.7036, was introduced in the Senate one day after state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, raised concerns that legislation prohibiting the display of symbols of hate by local municipalities, schools, police and fire departments could mean displays of the “thin red line” supporting firefighters who have died in the line of duty, “thin blue line” displays supporting police officers who have died in the line of duty or the “thin green line” supporting soldiers who have died in the line of duty could be interpreted by some as symbols of hate.

S.4615, sponsored by Sen. Anna Kaplan, D-Carle Place, passed the Senate recently by a 56-7 vote, with Borrello voting against the bill. The Sunset Bay Republican said his concerns have less to do with generally accepted hate symbols and more to do with the bill’s vague definition of hate symbols that could leave local government entities defending themselves in court.

“I certainly understand the intent of this piece of legislation, but I would like to draw draw your attention to some of the amendments here, particularly line 10 where it says symbols of hate shall include, but not be limited to symbols of white supremacy and so on and so forth,” Borrello said. “My question is, ‘but not be limited to.’ Who determines then what is determined a symbol of hate?”

The “thin blue line” flag led to graffiti being sprayed on a Jamestown homeowner’s sidewalk and street in front of the house last August. The thin blue line flag is a relatively recent invention, but the use of the thin blue line to describe police dates back to at least 1922, according to The Marshall Project. IT expanded in the 1950s with a television show about the Los Angeles Police Department before being popularized in novels.

Andrew Jacob, president of Thin Blue Line USA, told the Marshall Project that the flag is designed to show support for law enforcement with no politics involved, but the flag has been flown by those attending political events, including protests.

“So I guess I’m still unclear because we’ve seen people who’ve considered the flag of the United States to be a symbol of hate, and I don’t see anywhere in this bill where we limited this,” Borrello said. “If this bill had limited to just white supremacy, neo-Nazi ideology and the Battle Flag of the Confederacy, that’s one thing. But it’s very broad and we still don’t really know what governing body gets to determine. If this bill said we’re going to create a commission to outline or to be some kind of adjudicary body over what is a symbol of hate, that might be different. But this is very vague. It’s a poorly drafted piece of legislation in my opinion.”