The State Government Committee heard a proponent testify on Tuesday as to why the Ohio State Seal should be changed to include a picture of the Wright Brothers’ first airplane.

House Bill 99 has been in committee since February, and the group is expected to vote on it next week, said Rep. Jon Husted, R-Kettering.

“It is a citizen effort to make people more aware of the historic achievement by the Wright Brothers,” Husted said. “I represent the district that was home to the Wright Brothers, so I thought it was a good idea to take it under my wing.”

The original idea came from a Dayton-area citizen named William Burnett, who is a mortgage broker by day and artist on the side.

“I got the idea when I was on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard. I introduced myself to my tour guide as William Burnett from Ohio, the birthplace of aviation,” Burnett said.

He thought more people should be aware of Ohio’s great accomplishment, so he began designing his idea, which he completed in March 1998. The finishing touches were put on the painting in Adena State Park, outside of Chillicothe.

The site was chosen because it was the place where the original State Seal was drawn, Burnett said.

“On October 29, 1998, the picture was unveiled on the steps of the State House to give tribute to the Wright Brothers,” Burnett said.

“I drew the picture to give tribute to our heritage. It is a confusing identity for Ohio, but the aircraft was built in our state. It should be recognized,” Burnett said.

“It was a significant Ohio event. North Carolina takes credit for it a lot, but all they gave it was the wind. We built it,” Husted said.

For the last seven years, Burnett has been trying to get his idea recognized. He has petitioned door-to-door, actively maintained legislation and gone to schools across the state.

“It is a good lesson. Everyone can make an impact on the state,” Burnett said.

Ohio is approaching the 100-year anniversary of the first powered flight, and the airplane was recently added to the back of Ohio’s quarter, so it is a good time for this bill to be in committee, Husted said.

“The State Seal has been changed seven times in the past. This time we don’t want to change it – we just want to add to it something that is appropriate to our state’s history,” Husted said.

Although a fiscal analysis has yet to be conducted, Husted does not expect cost to be a significant factor because the seal is not being entirely changed.

“If the change is approved, it will be phased in over a period of years to minimize costs,” Husted said.

Some people do not think changing the seal is necessary.

“It’s not a distinctive seal to begin with. What big importance does this have?” said Warren VanTine, an Ohio State history professor.

“We played a role in aviation, but there are a number of things I could think of to put on the State Seal,” VanTine said.

VanTine said politicians and artists may care about the change, but he wondered if it would matter to most ordinary people.

“I’m just an average citizen trying to correct something that needed to be fixed – our global identity,” Burnett said.