For its first 81 years as a state, Maine had no flag. In 1901, their first state flag was selected. It was lovely:

Regrettably, this quaint little design was replaced just a few short years later with something lousy. Since 1909, this has been the flag of the state of Maine:

It’s one of many subpar seal on a bedsheet state flags in America. With an overly complicated design that features needless text, it’s difficult to distinguish from a dozen or more similar state flags in America.

In recent years, however, a modernized version of the original state flag has been gaining popularity:

When visiting Maine, this Lone Pine beauty can be found on shirts, hats, and much more. In fact, it’s gotten so well-known that there are even riffs on it, like this delightful pin I acquired on a recent visit:

[Photo courtesy of P. Kafasis]

Now, it appears voters will have the opportunity to replace their current middling-at-best flag with the Lone Pine. The process described here has been convoluted as all get out, but come November, it appears Maine has a shot at upgrading their flag. Here’s hoping they seize it.

Those lucky folks in Minnesota are getting a new state flag. Last week, the State Emblems Redesign Commission had narrowed things down to this:

Any one of these would be a substantial improvement over the current flag, but the third design was subsequently selected to serve as the basis for the final flag. Yesterday, the State Emblems Redesign Commission adopted a modified version as their final recommendation:

The submission has been altered quite a bit, but it remains excellent. I find this whole process rather convoluted though. The commission’s website states that it “shall certify its adopted designs in a report to the legislature and governor no later than January 1, 2024”, but what happens after that is unclear to me. One member of the commission has even said he’ll ask the legislature to let Minnesotans vote for their favorite designs. That would be a real step backwards.

At present, it’s unclear if the design will indeed be adopted, and if so, when. Still, it’s progress, as is their proposed new state seal:

Whatever happens, one thing is clear: good design abounds in the land of 10,000 lakes.

Previously in Flag Upgrades: Utah’s Improved State Flag

State flags, and indeed most non-country flags, are almost uniformly terrible. But thanks to a recent redesign in Utah, there’s one fewer terrible state flag in America. Though I find the new design has an excessive number of elements, it’s still an incredible improvement, and it far outshines the hideous “seal on a bedsheet” designs of every state I’ve ever called home. I can only hope that one day Massachusetts will improve its wretched flag.

If you’re looking for more on state flags, CGP Grey’s recent video is excellent. I quibble with some of his grades (South Carolina is better than a D! Colorado is better than a C! And most especially, Arizona is Superb, while Utah is too busy to be Superb), but it’s a great watch nonetheless. Cue it up for the weekend.

As you might be aware, Mississippi is finally removing the ridiculous Confederate emblem from their state flag. Better 150 years late than never, right? As part of the replacement process, the state has taken public submissions, receiving over 3000 designs. A commission then narrowed this list down to 147. Well, 146 now, after this beauty was removed following its apparently mistaken inclusion:

“The mosquito flag advanced to Round Two due to a typo in a list of flag numbers submitted by one commissioner,” the commission said in a statement Tuesday. “That commissioner has requested that the flag be removed from the Round Two gallery, and the [Mississippi Department of Archives & History] staff has complied.”

If you look closely, you might spot two amusing things. First, the required phrase “In God We Trust” is included at the very bottom, in truly tiny text. And second, there’s a subtle grey box around the mosquito, likely an artifact of the designer simply pasting together a few different images to create this mockup. I’m delighted that this slapdash submission has received national attention.

Read Ta-Nehisi Coates on Dylann Roof’s horrific massacre and the Confederate flag which stands behind it.

New Zealand is considering changing their flag, but there’s no need to call a vexillologist. Instead, they’re just having people submit alternatives. Like so:

“Fire the Lazar!” by Auckland’s James Gray

“The laser beam projects a powerful image of New Zealand. I believe my design is so powerful it does not need to be discussed.”

I think we’ve found our winner.

On October 6th, 2014, marriage equality came to five states, including Oklahoma. Now, the deeply conservative state must adjust, and Monica Hesse has a wonderful look.

This is also a good time to link to Make It Equal, the site of the Flag of Equal Marriage, which tracks the state of same-sex marriage across the United States. It’s the brainchild of Carl Tashian, and I’ve done some work for the site for the past two years. After following the slow progress since Massachusetts became the first state to recognize same-sex marriages in 2004, it’s been incredible to see so many stars light up in the past year, with more likely to come soon.

A downright spangled banner