On Saturday, you might see flags flying at half-staff around Wisconsin.
The gesture, ordered by Gov. Tony Evers, is in honor of a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who died earlier this month. Here’s what you need to know about the flags at half-staff:
Recently re-elected Supreme Court Justice David Prosser greets his staff before giving a press conference at the Assembly Parlor on April 6, 2011.
Why are flags flying at half-staff in Wisconsin on Saturday?
Flags will fly at half-mast on Saturday in memory of former Supreme Court Justice David Prosser, who died on December 1 at the age of 81 after a months-long battle with cancer.
A native of Appleton, Prosser began his career in public service as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice and later as a prosecutor in Outagamie County, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
In 1978, he began a nearly two-decade stint in the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving terms as House Speaker and Minority Leader. He also spent a year on the Wisconsin Tax Appeals Commission before former Gov. Tommy Thompson appointed him to the state Supreme Court in 1998.
Prosser was a member of the field for 18 years and retired in 2016.
“Justice Prosser has dedicated his career to public service, from working for a member of Congress and his local community to serving as a state legislator and his nearly two decades as a justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Evers said in the news release. “His career was unique – he did a little bit of everything – and he spent much of his life looking for new and more impactful ways he could make a difference in our state.” Services for Prosser will be held Saturday in Appleton.
More: Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser has died at the age of 81
How long will the flags remain at half-mast?
On Saturday the flags will fly at half-mast from sunrise to sunset.
Where will the flags be at half mast?
Under Evers’ order, the American flag and the Wisconsin state flag will fly at half-staff at all buildings, grounds and military installations belonging to the state of Wisconsin.
When do flags fly at half mast?
American flags typically fly at half-staff in the aftermath of national tragedies or after the deaths of government officials, military members or first responders. They also fly at half-staff on Memorial Day and other national observances, including 9/11.
“The flag of the United States is flown at half-mast or half-mast when the nation or state is in mourning,” says USA.gov. “The president, a state governor or the mayor of the District of Columbia may fly flags at half-mast.”
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why are flags at half-staff in Wisconsin on Saturday?
