LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A bill that would require any flags bought by Arkansas taxpayer money to be made in America passed a House committee on Wednesday. The bill’s sponsor said he anticipates easy passage in both chambers when the time comes.

Rep. Jack Fortner said he initially got this idea from fellow veterans. Fortner, a Vietnam veteran, said they asked him to do this.

“They said they were proud of their flag, and they wanted the flags that flew over our schools, our Capitol, and our buildings to be made in the United States,” Fortner said.

Kerry McCoy, owner of Flag and Banner in Little Rock, said the flags currently at the Capitol are already from the United States. McCoy said she routinely sells flags to the state, and everything that goes through the shop is American-made.

“One of our creeds is we cannot sell foreign-made flags,” McCoy said.

McCoy said she thinks this sends a good message even if the sentiment is already there.

“It just gets the conversation out there,” McCoy said. “It gets people thinking about it. It gets people checking their label [asking], ‘Where was this flag made?’ That’s what’s nice about this conversation we’re having.”