NY Flags Immediately Ordered at Half Staff Until Further Notice

Flags are expected to remain lowered throughout New York State and the Hudson Valley for an extended period of time.

Flying the flag at half-staff isn’t a decision made on a whim. While towns and counties manage their own flag displays, most follow the lead of the state and federal government. While most times flags are lowered for 24 hours, there are occasions when flags are ordered to stay at half-staff “until further notice,” and this is one of those times.

Why Flags are Half-Staff in New York State This Week

This week, Governor Kathy Hochul directed that all flags on state buildings be flown at half-staff in honor of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who passed away on November 3 at the age of 84. The order went into effect immediately and will continue through his interment, though no details have been announced yet about when or where that will take place.

Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1941 and grew up in Wyoming, where he eventually retired. It’s possible that funeral services could be held in either of those states, though no official announcement has been made. It’s also not yet known whether he will receive a state funeral, an honor that allows distinguished Americans to lie in state inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. It's common for Presidents and prominent political leaders to be granted that honor after their passing.

Governor Hochul said Cheney’s decades of leadership and service deserve recognition and extended condolences to the Cheney family. For now, the flags across New York will remain at half-staff until further notice.