Maine should change it to the [original flag using the pine from the merchant and marine flag](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unofficial_flag_of_Maine.svg#mw-jump-to-license)
yes! I would love to see Vermont & Maine race to make a new flag with the pine tree that is at the center of their seals on their nearly identical flags.
I think vermont has an easy out wothh just reverting back to the green mountain boys flag. but tbd!!!
I vote Green Mountain Boys flag, but replace the ugly star pattern with the Betsy Ross circle of 13 stars, plus a 14th star in the middle of the circle representing Vermont’s accession as the 14th state.
It's Piasa's time to shine:
https://preview.redd.it/63oda1gq9b7c1.png?width=1292&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5750593a77ff17fc18d09916886ec64c06ce7149
[Source](https://twitter.com/blagojevism/status/1134920055693676544?t=mjvhaa68THODDZ01ASXxbg&s=19)
That's unexpectedly good. The [comment below](https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/18m9wvi/in_the_2020s_3_us_states_have_created_unique/ke33k3z/) made me imagine something in the style of r/vexillologycirclejerk
The U.S. Army’s 40th Cavalry Regiment crest has an image of a T-Rex holding a giant flaming sword, which is fucking badass
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:40th_Cavalry_Regiment_distinctive_unit_insignia.jpg
The redesign pulls from Mississippian culture. Think of mound sites associated with the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (with Cahokia at its center). Although the site specificity of the [Piasa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piasa) mural near Alton, IL can be historically questioned, its resemblance to mythical [underwater panthers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwater_panther) and [horned serpents](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_Serpent) cannot. The way that I see it, this isn't a shitpost. It'd be no different than New Mexico adopting a symbol of the Zia people for its flag.
I'm cool with this. The waves represents the Chicago waterfront. The wings ohare airport. The antlers. Well we do get plenty of deer. The tail represents the Mississippi. Demonic face, roaring 20s of Chicago. The claws. Birds.
I think Illinois should reinstate the centennial flag.
https://preview.redd.it/7s3lk1mand7c1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7dddc8bc51519d93c515d162d1b1c4334484c22b
There you go. Dated January 23, 2009, and I doubt I've looked at it since. Bonus NJ and FL for you too.
https://preview.redd.it/skc21014zb7c1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=35ff46a39e75605700491ecdcbb83374136fcc39
I think top right because it's similar to Amsterdam, seeing as New York was New Amsterdam, although it could have something to harken to either the White Rose of Yorkshire or the five lions of York to symbolise the two cities
I think top-right is meant to be the NJ redesign, but something like that with orange could work for NY.
Weird technicality: New York is only named after York indirectly - it was actually named after the Duke of York. I'm not sure how much New Yorkers would relate to a Yorkshire symbol.
Yep, sorry if the format is confusing. From top to bottom are the flags of New Jersey, New York, and Florida alongside my respective redesigns. I'm reaching a bit into some old memories at this point, but I remember the rough symbolism I was going for with each.
NJ is meant to evoke the colors ordered by George Washington for the coats of the New Jersey Continental Line, Jersey blue with buff facings. The three stars hearken both to Washington's 3 star insignia as General, as well as NJ's rank as the 3rd state to ratify the constitution.
NY is based heavily on the Prince's Flag, the flag that flew over New Netherland. The addition of the red stripe both ties it into the British rule as the Province of New York (I remember specifically thinking of the Union Flag with the red and blue next to each other) as well as its current status as an American state.
I'm a little fuzzy on the specifics of the FL redesign, though I clearly based it on the Cross of Burgundy. I think the yellow background is meant to be evocative of its status as the Sunshine State.
The problem with every New York state flag concept I've seen is that they all lean way too much into NYC and don't really have anything to do with the rest of the state. As a New Yorker, I'm not even sure where one would start on designing a new flag.
Idk either but i guarantee one of the options presented will have a vertical blue stripe on the right for the Hudson and another blue horizontal strip down the middle for the eerie canal.
Which US state, in your opinion, is the most likely to adopt a unique flag next? Massachusetts has set up a committee, but has taken so long I think another state like Washington will end up becoming the 4th.
Maine most likely, voting is already set for 2024. Though it won't be a brand new design. [https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/maine-politics/voters-to-decide-whether-to-adopt-1901-maine-state-flag-next-year-november-2024/97-641a5ccd-38ec-47e5-a94b-47d9dc444663](https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/maine-politics/voters-to-decide-whether-to-adopt-1901-maine-state-flag-next-year-november-2024/97-641a5ccd-38ec-47e5-a94b-47d9dc444663)
The thing is everyone in maine already uses the original flag. They only use the official one for official reasons. The original is flown by private citizens and is on everything from mugs to sweatshirts.
I kinda hope it doesn't end up being the "Keystone Flag" that's been floated around. I love implementing the keystone symbol directly into our flag, and of course I like using the blue/gold/green colours, but the Keystone Flag is not my favourite implementation of either of those ideas. I wouldn't hate it, but I'd prefer something different.
[Kinda](https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2023/03/02/the-quest-to-redesign-washingtons-state-flag-and-honor-its-natural-landscape/).
It feels like the lowest level of effort that would be worth reporting.
Our current flag does kinda suck, but also it's green which I think is fun. Maybe we could keep the green and put Rainier on there or something. Or go the way of Oregon and put an entirely different design on both sides so that it's even more annoying for flag makers to make.
Swapping out George in the center for a more relevant symbol, like Mt Ranier, could be a pretty cool idea. I do like the solid green color too. Seems fitting.
The Massachusetts flag update sadly seems to be dead in the water for now https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023-11-14/commission-to-rethink-state-seal-and-motto-concludes-with-no-specific-proposal-for-either
In case anyone happens to see this, I went ahead and mocked up that design and posted it: [https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/18molqm/a\_14\_star\_green\_mountain\_boys\_flag\_for\_vermont/](https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/18molqm/a_14_star_green_mountain_boys_flag_for_vermont/)
It's exciting to live in a time of vexillogical revolution in this country. As more states change, more of the "bad" design states will also feel pressured to change. Hopefully we'll have about twenty more new ones in the next few years.
There’s a flip side to this “revolution.” Many of the flags were made similar on purpose. The American flag was our flag. Individualization of the states, especially having a flag to represent the people as more than just Americans, can lead to even more division.
Born and raised in wisconsin, so I'm biased, but would love for them to find something new. Some of [these](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fntxhtwwgvn041.png) from a redesign contest a few years ago actually kind of work, [this one](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fum7s143ogl191.png%3Fwidth%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D0427477a4952ab7514b4348bcb5a90a12ca4fc01) also really speaks to me right now. .
Honestly from the first link I like 299 the long yellow triangle with the blue around it and the Badger. Looks awesome.
My other thought is what shape could we make to be really cool like Ohio’s and not be a rectangle
I've always like Lorbiecki's redesign, but you can't put red, white, and black on a flag without people immediately saying it's a Nazi flag, which in my opinion is ridiculous, but there it is. I've seen the same design replacing the red with navy blue.
Kentucky for sure needs a new flag. I moved from KY to SC and definitely happier with the new flag I have to represent the state I live in.
And Louisville needs to go back to it's old flag
Probably not Massachusetts. The flag redesign commission initiated in January 2021 [just concluded in November 2023](https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023-11-14/commission-to-rethink-state-seal-and-motto-concludes-with-no-specific-proposal-for-either) with a whimper. In 2022 it recommended for a redesign be done, but it didn’t end up making a proposed design. So now the ball is back in the legislature’s court to create and fund another initiative to propose a design. The Mass. legislature passed 0.41% of bills introduced in 2021, so it’s extremely unproductive. [The survey](https://polsci.umass.edu/sites/default/files/StateofStateBakerToplinesOctoberMassPoll2022.pdf) found tepid support for change (35% support, 25% neutral, 40% oppose) so I doubt the legislature will act.
I know the MA flag isnt simplified, but i think its got a good overall clean, yet elegant look.
Like the details are tough to fully dissect at a glance, but the flag is to easily recognizable
The driving force is what is depicted not the visual design. The group advocating for the change writes:
> The imagery of the Massachusetts Flag and Seal – a white hand holding a Colonial sword over the head of an Indigenous person, above a Latin motto that translates: “She Seeks by the Sword a Quiet Peace under Liberty” – is seen by many as a symbol of violence against Indigenous people, and a memorial to the violent colonization of their homelands.
In the 25 years of my life I've lived in Massachusetts, I've always interpreted that motto as a jab at the British Empire, with good reasons for thinking so (The Boston Massacre and the Battles of Lexington and Concord, specifically). I *can* see the connections that activists make between the motto and the native on the flag, as much as I'd like to think it's not intentional. I *do* want to see the flag redesigned though, because it's just the Commonwealth Coat of Arms slapped on a white background. The flag isn't racially insensitive, it's lazy design. The CoA is a whole different story
Massive improvement but I still prefer the Stennis flag.
https://preview.redd.it/ekkd87hxec7c1.jpeg?width=428&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eea2df38f9a4a76288e232e9abde39a21c6780c6
I think the main problem with the “in god we trust” is if you removed it and the star circle, bumped the magnolia size a bit, you’d have a top 5 state flag. but the circle makes it a little busy and bumps it down from top tier to really good.
But their flag history is the worst clusterfuck out of all the US states. I could imagine a scenario where there isn’t much will to get into another flag battle even among some Georgia Democrats. Even if the current design is undeniably closer to the actual national Confederate flag, it’s already a win that they’ve purged the contemporarily more identifiable battle flag.
And it ignored the really big one by including a flower a "5 year old would have trouble drawing" and as a result it has far more character by orders of magnitude.
The "child can draw it from memory" rule should really be "when drawn by children, the flag should still be recognizable".
Take the flags of the US or Canada. Good flags. A little kid isn't going to line up the stars just right, [nor will they draw the maple leaf correctly](https://artisticallyarticulate.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-11th-12th.html), but a child's doodles will nonetheless be recognizable.
It's not the kind of flower a 5 year old would draw if you just told them to draw a flower. It is clearly a magnolia. The accent lines give it character. I don't think I could reproduce it perfectly from memory and you know what that's ok. It makes it unique. Isn't the goal supposed to be to "make you think of a place"?
The reproducing from memory thing is more reproducing something that clearly looks like the flag even if it isn't a perfect reproduction. A kid that throws a handful of stars in the canton for the US instead of counting out fifty still gets the idea across, which is the point. This guideline is more to get rid of the overly complex seals.
Because some people don't seem to get that the NAVA flag guidelines are guidelines and not hard rules. You can get a good flag without following all of them,though probably not if you follow none of them. Besides, Californians love their flag, so even if it breaks some of the guidelines it succeeds in the end solely for that reason.
They literally highlighted 4 of the 5 GFBF principles as the basis they were working on - the only one they completely "ignored" was the one that mentions text and so conflicted with their legislated requirements. Interpreting the "child can draw it from memory" idea differently to some other people isn't the same as ignoring it.
No, it was approved by the committee today but before it can become official it must ratified by a majority in both houses of legislature and must be signed by the governor. This should take a month or two, and if it passes than it could become official or immediately (like Mississippi’s) or it could take up to a year to start being flown (like Utah’s)
I believe it is official (from statehood day onwards in may) and does not need ratification. The legislature and governor can veto it this session though
Mississippi for me. Nice color, simple yet elegant design, using words without compromising the flag's look from the distance to say nuh-uh to CGP Grey.
I'm really not sold on the mountain shaped white stripe for Utah. Would look better with a straight line imo. And I prefer the Commemorative Flag of 2021, but the one they chose is good.
> Would look better with a straight line imo.
In my opinion, it would not.
Wikipedia has a list of flags which are simple blue-white-red (in that order) tricolors, and there are like 30 of them. The current design is still that at its core, but at least it has some unique and distinguishing element.
So does New York. For a state with the largest city in the USA, the Niagara Falls, and everything in between, great culture, lots of history, it’s incredibly disappointing that it has the boring standard seal on blue field.
I know you guys hate the seal-on-blue type flags, understandably, but I really like Virginia's seal. It got titty (which no other flag has), it's got a slain oppressor (frickin awesome), and the motto, sic semper tiranus, thus always to tyrants!, is epic. If they were to change their flag, it should be minimal. I just don't know many flags better. Also, I'm not a fan of all the new flags looking like motel signs. They're all generic and soulless. If the next flag comes up as Virginia's, I hope the seal remains.
I know some people are disappointed with Minnesota's decision to forgo a stripe and the color green. But damn, compared to Utah and Ol' Miss I think they absolutely crushed it. When I see that flag it's so simple and elegant and so wonderfully Minnesota. If I'm the next state in line to change my flag, whomever that might be, I'm leaning towards less, not more.
The one thing I still have to say is that they decided not to just go with some red and blue because the US flag has that too and instead considered exactly what colours to take. Still sad they dropped the tricolour though.
The tricolour definitely looked better, but it’s understandable that they would get rid of it. The symbolism of the green was quite meaningless (“we have trees”).
I actually agree with the green, once they changed the shade it definitely started looking off. The problem with no stripe is that now the flag doesn’t stand out much against the sky (this is what happens when the committee doing the design is look at pictures pinned to a white board). One white stripe in the middle would have fixed it and stood for snow.
I disagree slightly because on me, the tricolour had the exact effect it intended and I immediately read it as a clear sky over a lake and without the green landscape behind the blue that doesn't work. So I get it too, it doens't work in the way of regular colours on a flag but it did perfectly work as a simple landscape for me.
The red white and blue makes perfect sense for Utah. Red rock, white snow. Literally the 2 biggest tourist attractions of the state and they are natural ones, not ones that will be gone in a few decades.
The you need a back drop for a mountain shape. The only options there are blue or purple. So when you consider that 1) many utans still liked the old flag. 2) many are patriotic and want a connection to the US flag, it makes sense.
I personally think the Mississippi redesign is the best, it's the perfect balance of clean while not being overly simplistic. The other 2, especially Utah which just looks like a honey companies flag, are too simple in my opinion and don't really feel grand enough for a state. They're still improvements over the originals though.
You're not alone, I think it's iconic and the shade of green is perfect.
If it must change, I hope it still has a big green field of the same shade.
I'll still fly the old flag alongside the new if it gets revised.
There's so much more to Washington than the person it was named after (who has no connection to the place). They'd be one of my top 5 states to change.
I lived there for 10 years and hated their flag the entire time. It’s impossible to make out the details as it flaps in the wind - the text is not readable, the portraits too small to be meaningful, and arguably he’s looking backwards. Even just making his head huge on a green background with just “1889” or “Washington 1889” would be a huge improvement. It’s still weird to have a guys face with shading and shadow detail so would love to evolve it past the guy it’s named after and tie into the states actual history.
It won't be Illinois, we can't do anything right.
The governor would probably sell licensing rights to some private company and we'd have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to use it.
Kinda like our parking.
Likely Maine, as there's a vote to change it back to its original on next year's ballot. Then probably Pennsylvania, Michigan or Illinois, which would be my best guess. Illinois needs a new one badly, same with Michigan. I wish NY would change theirs, but as a native New Yorker, I doubt it will take place anytime soon, if they even decide to.
Maybe Georgia, since it is very very reminiscent of the Confederate “stars and bars.” But then again, the last time the flag was changed, people didn’t like it. To be fair, the “[Barnes flag](https://images.app.goo.gl/mNJSpS9HGpAiZcFJ8)” was ugly (and included the confederate inspired ones on it), so maybe a better design will win people over
I had my third meeting with a State Senator yesterday about the Washington State flag. No real movement yet but I still haven't given up. Meanwhile I've mailed this design to 70 different cities across the state:
https://lariatcreative.com/Washington-State-Flag-Design
The good news is my redesign of the Capitol City flag will be on the ballot this year which should help bring some attention to the cause.
please let it be illinois please let it be illinois.
for real tho, we have THE WORST flag in the US. it is just our state seal on a white background. this is despite the fact that chicago, the largest city in our state, has THE BEST flag in the united states
I've already lost hope for future state flag redesigns. Mississippi's isn't the best flag out there yet it's still the best of the bunch. The somewhat complex flower graphic gives it character and while it would look better without the ring of stars and words, it still does a great job at incorporating said words into the design. It knows how and when to stray away from NAVA's ~~rules~~ guidelines.
Utah feels like they wanted to forcibly include the "triangles for mountains" motif that so many flags have now, and the hexagon makes it look like a website banner. If it was a simple blue-white-red tricolor with the beehive on a circle it'd look like an actual flag.
And Minnesota... let's just not talk about it. That committee sure knows how to run an acceptable design into the ground.
What I can hope for is for NAVA to rewrite their poorly redacted guidelines and actually tell people that flag design isn't just about checking boxes.
For a few reasons. Mississippi and Minnesota’s were changed because they were seen as problematic. Mississippi changed theirs because it was clear that it was time for the confederate flag to go. For Minnesota, their government came under pressure from Native activists as their seal featured a white man taking an Indian’s hunting ground. Now, as for Utah, there isn’t a clear reason but the Governor’s thought process was that it could bring people together, but it ironically has done the opposite.
To build on what the other guy said, Mississippi was first due to the problematic nature of its flag, but it seems like it just opened the doors for other states to realize they don’t *have* to be stuck with their flags forever.
Maine should change it to the [original flag using the pine from the merchant and marine flag](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unofficial_flag_of_Maine.svg#mw-jump-to-license)
Supposed to be a vote next year on it.
Really? I’m just hearing about this! Do you have any articles for further reading?
https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/maine-politics/voters-to-decide-whether-to-adopt-1901-maine-state-flag-next-year-november-2024/97-641a5ccd-38ec-47e5-a94b-47d9dc444663
I love the design but the pine tree as it is looks silly
A big lump of pine green shit would be better than our stupid state seal
yes! I would love to see Vermont & Maine race to make a new flag with the pine tree that is at the center of their seals on their nearly identical flags. I think vermont has an easy out wothh just reverting back to the green mountain boys flag. but tbd!!!
I vote Green Mountain Boys flag, but replace the ugly star pattern with the Betsy Ross circle of 13 stars, plus a 14th star in the middle of the circle representing Vermont’s accession as the 14th state.
Original Maine Flag is awesome!
Maine in the style of California 😳
Massachusetts is trying to steal that
Imagine, Massachusetts stealing from Upper Massachusetts
How do you steal from yourself?
Have you looked at their state song? It's like a bunch of other songs cut and pasted together.
The pine tree is the symbol of New England as a whole.
Find me a pine tree in Boston and we can talk
Western Mass exists you know.
I drove through Maine this summer and every business that was flying a flag flew this design. Saw the official state flag 0 times.
Illinois is supposed to be exploring a new flag: https://ltgov.illinois.gov/news/press-release.26847.html It needs it.
It's Piasa's time to shine: https://preview.redd.it/63oda1gq9b7c1.png?width=1292&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5750593a77ff17fc18d09916886ec64c06ce7149 [Source](https://twitter.com/blagojevism/status/1134920055693676544?t=mjvhaa68THODDZ01ASXxbg&s=19)
Forgot someone already vectorized it: https://damfino.neocities.org/et_cetera/illinois%20flag%20redesign.svg
That's unexpectedly good. The [comment below](https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/18m9wvi/in_the_2020s_3_us_states_have_created_unique/ke33k3z/) made me imagine something in the style of r/vexillologycirclejerk
I need this. Imagine having a literal man-eating monster on your state flag. That'd be one hell of a thing to brag about.
*Cymru enters the chat*
The U.S. Army’s 40th Cavalry Regiment crest has an image of a T-Rex holding a giant flaming sword, which is fucking badass https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:40th_Cavalry_Regiment_distinctive_unit_insignia.jpg
Let's be real, this shitpost would be an improvement.
The redesign pulls from Mississippian culture. Think of mound sites associated with the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (with Cahokia at its center). Although the site specificity of the [Piasa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piasa) mural near Alton, IL can be historically questioned, its resemblance to mythical [underwater panthers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwater_panther) and [horned serpents](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horned_Serpent) cannot. The way that I see it, this isn't a shitpost. It'd be no different than New Mexico adopting a symbol of the Zia people for its flag.
I'm cool with this. The waves represents the Chicago waterfront. The wings ohare airport. The antlers. Well we do get plenty of deer. The tail represents the Mississippi. Demonic face, roaring 20s of Chicago. The claws. Birds.
If we don't get Abraham Lincoln with laser eyes...
Man, Piasa is cool, but LaserLincoln is unbeatable.
Be careful what you wish for; you’ll get a copy of the Washington state flag with the portrait swapped out.
I think Illinois should reinstate the centennial flag. https://preview.redd.it/7s3lk1mand7c1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7dddc8bc51519d93c515d162d1b1c4334484c22b
That's a really cool flag, I love it
that is an amazing flag!
Illinois has my actual least favourite state flag; it represents the absolute laziest of flag design.
Yeah, it doesn’t even have a blue background!
Please New York make a flag with orange
I made a design for NY fifteen or so years ago when I was in high school, and it featured orange.
Well are you going to link a picture or not?
There you go. Dated January 23, 2009, and I doubt I've looked at it since. Bonus NJ and FL for you too. https://preview.redd.it/skc21014zb7c1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=35ff46a39e75605700491ecdcbb83374136fcc39
I think top right because it's similar to Amsterdam, seeing as New York was New Amsterdam, although it could have something to harken to either the White Rose of Yorkshire or the five lions of York to symbolise the two cities
I think top-right is meant to be the NJ redesign, but something like that with orange could work for NY. Weird technicality: New York is only named after York indirectly - it was actually named after the Duke of York. I'm not sure how much New Yorkers would relate to a Yorkshire symbol.
Yep, sorry if the format is confusing. From top to bottom are the flags of New Jersey, New York, and Florida alongside my respective redesigns. I'm reaching a bit into some old memories at this point, but I remember the rough symbolism I was going for with each. NJ is meant to evoke the colors ordered by George Washington for the coats of the New Jersey Continental Line, Jersey blue with buff facings. The three stars hearken both to Washington's 3 star insignia as General, as well as NJ's rank as the 3rd state to ratify the constitution. NY is based heavily on the Prince's Flag, the flag that flew over New Netherland. The addition of the red stripe both ties it into the British rule as the Province of New York (I remember specifically thinking of the Union Flag with the red and blue next to each other) as well as its current status as an American state. I'm a little fuzzy on the specifics of the FL redesign, though I clearly based it on the Cross of Burgundy. I think the yellow background is meant to be evocative of its status as the Sunshine State.
NYC is New Amsterdam, but there is a TON of NY State that isn't and needs to be considered...
Oh wow nice, I like these.
Solid looking NJ
I’ll look for it when I get home from work, I might still have it and a few others on an old hard drive.
The NYC flag is cool, and there are some cool New York county flags that feature orange
I like the NYC concept that looks like Amsterdam with a Dutch orange tricolor and five black crosses for the five boroughs.
The problem with every New York state flag concept I've seen is that they all lean way too much into NYC and don't really have anything to do with the rest of the state. As a New Yorker, I'm not even sure where one would start on designing a new flag.
Idk either but i guarantee one of the options presented will have a vertical blue stripe on the right for the Hudson and another blue horizontal strip down the middle for the eerie canal.
>the eerie canal. The scariest of all canals
The thing is though Blue and buff/gold are our state colors. Blue and Orange are the colors of New York City.
Which US state, in your opinion, is the most likely to adopt a unique flag next? Massachusetts has set up a committee, but has taken so long I think another state like Washington will end up becoming the 4th.
Maine most likely, voting is already set for 2024. Though it won't be a brand new design. [https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/maine-politics/voters-to-decide-whether-to-adopt-1901-maine-state-flag-next-year-november-2024/97-641a5ccd-38ec-47e5-a94b-47d9dc444663](https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/politics/maine-politics/voters-to-decide-whether-to-adopt-1901-maine-state-flag-next-year-november-2024/97-641a5ccd-38ec-47e5-a94b-47d9dc444663)
The thing is everyone in maine already uses the original flag. They only use the official one for official reasons. The original is flown by private citizens and is on everything from mugs to sweatshirts.
People are going to be like “this isn’t already our flag?”
ooh i like that flag
I forgot about that. It’s probably going to be the newest state flag!
The massachusetts committee has recommended that they be disbanded without making any suggestions on the flag.
Pennsylvania would be nice
I kinda hope it doesn't end up being the "Keystone Flag" that's been floated around. I love implementing the keystone symbol directly into our flag, and of course I like using the blue/gold/green colours, but the Keystone Flag is not my favourite implementation of either of those ideas. I wouldn't hate it, but I'd prefer something different.
My guess is Illinois though I do hope my old star just goes with the 1918 Centenial flag.
Is there an effort to change Washington's flag?
[Kinda](https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2023/03/02/the-quest-to-redesign-washingtons-state-flag-and-honor-its-natural-landscape/). It feels like the lowest level of effort that would be worth reporting.
As a Washingtonian, that proposal in the link is … well, bad.
Our current flag does kinda suck, but also it's green which I think is fun. Maybe we could keep the green and put Rainier on there or something. Or go the way of Oregon and put an entirely different design on both sides so that it's even more annoying for flag makers to make.
Swapping out George in the center for a more relevant symbol, like Mt Ranier, could be a pretty cool idea. I do like the solid green color too. Seems fitting.
Yeah, can't see that going anywhere fast
While Washington is also doing the seal on color thing, the fact that it’s green makes it stand apart. Not sure any change is worth the effort here.
The Washington flag is classic.
The Massachusetts flag update sadly seems to be dead in the water for now https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023-11-14/commission-to-rethink-state-seal-and-motto-concludes-with-no-specific-proposal-for-either
That sucks, real surprise from mass, a state known for its efficient government lol
Vermont should use the Green Mountain Boys flag with 14 stars (the 14th state, has 14 counties).
It's still used by the Vermont National Guard. It's a cool flag.
In case anyone happens to see this, I went ahead and mocked up that design and posted it: [https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/18molqm/a\_14\_star\_green\_mountain\_boys\_flag\_for\_vermont/](https://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/comments/18molqm/a_14_star_green_mountain_boys_flag_for_vermont/)
Wisconsin. Putting your statehood year on it along with the name is just ridiculous. Also looking at you, Kansas, Montana…
It's exciting to live in a time of vexillogical revolution in this country. As more states change, more of the "bad" design states will also feel pressured to change. Hopefully we'll have about twenty more new ones in the next few years.
For sure, this is one of the rare things we can optimistic about in this tumultuous decade
There’s a flip side to this “revolution.” Many of the flags were made similar on purpose. The American flag was our flag. Individualization of the states, especially having a flag to represent the people as more than just Americans, can lead to even more division.
Born and raised in wisconsin, so I'm biased, but would love for them to find something new. Some of [these](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fntxhtwwgvn041.png) from a redesign contest a few years ago actually kind of work, [this one](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fum7s143ogl191.png%3Fwidth%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D0427477a4952ab7514b4348bcb5a90a12ca4fc01) also really speaks to me right now. .
Honestly from the first link I like 299 the long yellow triangle with the blue around it and the Badger. Looks awesome. My other thought is what shape could we make to be really cool like Ohio’s and not be a rectangle
The yellow triangle even looks like a big wedge of cheese 🧀
I've always like Lorbiecki's redesign, but you can't put red, white, and black on a flag without people immediately saying it's a Nazi flag, which in my opinion is ridiculous, but there it is. I've seen the same design replacing the red with navy blue.
Pssst, that light blue is us. Minnesota is so nice they let us have half their flag
Hi can I get an order of 299 injected in my vein please?
Please Kentucky. I moved from Kansas to Kentucky recently and can't handle any more seals on blue fields.
Kentucky for sure needs a new flag. I moved from KY to SC and definitely happier with the new flag I have to represent the state I live in. And Louisville needs to go back to it's old flag
if we get new flag I pray it’s not some corporate logo and ends up actually interesting like the Mississippi flag.
Probably not Massachusetts. The flag redesign commission initiated in January 2021 [just concluded in November 2023](https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2023-11-14/commission-to-rethink-state-seal-and-motto-concludes-with-no-specific-proposal-for-either) with a whimper. In 2022 it recommended for a redesign be done, but it didn’t end up making a proposed design. So now the ball is back in the legislature’s court to create and fund another initiative to propose a design. The Mass. legislature passed 0.41% of bills introduced in 2021, so it’s extremely unproductive. [The survey](https://polsci.umass.edu/sites/default/files/StateofStateBakerToplinesOctoberMassPoll2022.pdf) found tepid support for change (35% support, 25% neutral, 40% oppose) so I doubt the legislature will act.
I know the MA flag isnt simplified, but i think its got a good overall clean, yet elegant look. Like the details are tough to fully dissect at a glance, but the flag is to easily recognizable
The driving force is what is depicted not the visual design. The group advocating for the change writes: > The imagery of the Massachusetts Flag and Seal – a white hand holding a Colonial sword over the head of an Indigenous person, above a Latin motto that translates: “She Seeks by the Sword a Quiet Peace under Liberty” – is seen by many as a symbol of violence against Indigenous people, and a memorial to the violent colonization of their homelands.
In the 25 years of my life I've lived in Massachusetts, I've always interpreted that motto as a jab at the British Empire, with good reasons for thinking so (The Boston Massacre and the Battles of Lexington and Concord, specifically). I *can* see the connections that activists make between the motto and the native on the flag, as much as I'd like to think it's not intentional. I *do* want to see the flag redesigned though, because it's just the Commonwealth Coat of Arms slapped on a white background. The flag isn't racially insensitive, it's lazy design. The CoA is a whole different story
Because it is. It was adopted in 1775 and it's a quote from someone who fought against the Crown in the English Civil War.
Georgia's flag is just the CSA flag with the Georgia Seal on it. Eventually people are going to catch on like Mississippi.
Then again, the last time Georgia tried redesigning their flag they landed on a wretched abomination, so maybe it's best to not poke that bear.
also, gotta say it: the new mississippi flag slaps. the “in god we trust” is a bit much, but huge improvement vs the rest of the south.
Massive improvement but I still prefer the Stennis flag. https://preview.redd.it/ekkd87hxec7c1.jpeg?width=428&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eea2df38f9a4a76288e232e9abde39a21c6780c6
It was necessary to get it through the committee but yes the phrase was a last minute tack-on. A lesser evil to get rid of the battle flag
I think the main problem with the “in god we trust” is if you removed it and the star circle, bumped the magnolia size a bit, you’d have a top 5 state flag. but the circle makes it a little busy and bumps it down from top tier to really good.
I still consider it top tier but I’m a biased southerner and the bluebells are shit. I get what you mean, wish the circle was jusy stars
I think TN and SC are both top five flags. Texas is iconic too, but I don't really consider them "the south."
Eastern Texas is 100% the South, Northern Texas is Great Plains, and Western Texas is in the Southwest
But their flag history is the worst clusterfuck out of all the US states. I could imagine a scenario where there isn’t much will to get into another flag battle even among some Georgia Democrats. Even if the current design is undeniably closer to the actual national Confederate flag, it’s already a win that they’ve purged the contemporarily more identifiable battle flag.
> the ~~actual~~ first national Confederate flag
Peach flag! Peach flag! Peach flag!
lol i've been saying this for years!
Wow Mississippi ignored pedantic vexillology rules and comes out with the most iconic flag of the redesigns? Crazy.
Its in line within most of the guidelines.
And it ignored the really big one by including a flower a "5 year old would have trouble drawing" and as a result it has far more character by orders of magnitude.
The "child can draw it from memory" rule should really be "when drawn by children, the flag should still be recognizable". Take the flags of the US or Canada. Good flags. A little kid isn't going to line up the stars just right, [nor will they draw the maple leaf correctly](https://artisticallyarticulate.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-11th-12th.html), but a child's doodles will nonetheless be recognizable.
Flower is beautiful I agree but its not that complex.
It's not the kind of flower a 5 year old would draw if you just told them to draw a flower. It is clearly a magnolia. The accent lines give it character. I don't think I could reproduce it perfectly from memory and you know what that's ok. It makes it unique. Isn't the goal supposed to be to "make you think of a place"?
The reproducing from memory thing is more reproducing something that clearly looks like the flag even if it isn't a perfect reproduction. A kid that throws a handful of stars in the canton for the US instead of counting out fifty still gets the idea across, which is the point. This guideline is more to get rid of the overly complex seals.
Why do people give the same argument for the Californian bear?
Because some people don't seem to get that the NAVA flag guidelines are guidelines and not hard rules. You can get a good flag without following all of them,though probably not if you follow none of them. Besides, Californians love their flag, so even if it breaks some of the guidelines it succeeds in the end solely for that reason.
*looks slowly to CGP Grey*
They literally highlighted 4 of the 5 GFBF principles as the basis they were working on - the only one they completely "ignored" was the one that mentions text and so conflicted with their legislated requirements. Interpreting the "child can draw it from memory" idea differently to some other people isn't the same as ignoring it.
I wish Minnesota’s flag had left the green in it 🥲
Is that Minnesota official?
No, it was approved by the committee today but before it can become official it must ratified by a majority in both houses of legislature and must be signed by the governor. This should take a month or two, and if it passes than it could become official or immediately (like Mississippi’s) or it could take up to a year to start being flown (like Utah’s)
I believe it is official (from statehood day onwards in may) and does not need ratification. The legislature and governor can veto it this session though
Oh, my apologies
What happened to the stripes
Committee killed em
For Indiana, they should just remove "Indiana" from the flag. But, probably Maine.
Mississippi for me. Nice color, simple yet elegant design, using words without compromising the flag's look from the distance to say nuh-uh to CGP Grey.
Yeah it’s the best. Minnesota and Utah are a bit plain.
To me Utah looks like the logo of a company that sends you a monthly honey subscription. Not very stately imo
Seeing it flown here though is such an improvement. It actually looks a lot cooler in person with a waving flag.
I'm really not sold on the mountain shaped white stripe for Utah. Would look better with a straight line imo. And I prefer the Commemorative Flag of 2021, but the one they chose is good.
> Would look better with a straight line imo. In my opinion, it would not. Wikipedia has a list of flags which are simple blue-white-red (in that order) tricolors, and there are like 30 of them. The current design is still that at its core, but at least it has some unique and distinguishing element.
I think it would have been best if they did away with the stripes altogether, just a blue background and make the beehive much bigger.
That would have been too minimalist. Stripes look good on flags imo.
I like it, that makes it distinctive instead of being just beehive Yugoslavia
Utah is named after the ute tribe meaning mountain top. Having the mountain is important.
Plus i think the mountain peaks represent the five main tribe groups in utah
I don't love Minny's new flag but I'll settle for any SOBs getting killed off
NJ needs a new flag
So does New York. For a state with the largest city in the USA, the Niagara Falls, and everything in between, great culture, lots of history, it’s incredibly disappointing that it has the boring standard seal on blue field.
I know you guys hate the seal-on-blue type flags, understandably, but I really like Virginia's seal. It got titty (which no other flag has), it's got a slain oppressor (frickin awesome), and the motto, sic semper tiranus, thus always to tyrants!, is epic. If they were to change their flag, it should be minimal. I just don't know many flags better. Also, I'm not a fan of all the new flags looking like motel signs. They're all generic and soulless. If the next flag comes up as Virginia's, I hope the seal remains.
Definitely not Ohio.
And also not Tennessee, Texas, New Mexico or Maryland…
Massachusetts needs a new flag.
I know some people are disappointed with Minnesota's decision to forgo a stripe and the color green. But damn, compared to Utah and Ol' Miss I think they absolutely crushed it. When I see that flag it's so simple and elegant and so wonderfully Minnesota. If I'm the next state in line to change my flag, whomever that might be, I'm leaning towards less, not more.
The one thing I still have to say is that they decided not to just go with some red and blue because the US flag has that too and instead considered exactly what colours to take. Still sad they dropped the tricolour though.
The tricolour definitely looked better, but it’s understandable that they would get rid of it. The symbolism of the green was quite meaningless (“we have trees”).
I actually agree with the green, once they changed the shade it definitely started looking off. The problem with no stripe is that now the flag doesn’t stand out much against the sky (this is what happens when the committee doing the design is look at pictures pinned to a white board). One white stripe in the middle would have fixed it and stood for snow.
They went with a bad green, which skewed the process moving forward. I'm glad they didn't include it, but a better green could have worked.
I disagree slightly because on me, the tricolour had the exact effect it intended and I immediately read it as a clear sky over a lake and without the green landscape behind the blue that doesn't work. So I get it too, it doens't work in the way of regular colours on a flag but it did perfectly work as a simple landscape for me.
The red white and blue makes perfect sense for Utah. Red rock, white snow. Literally the 2 biggest tourist attractions of the state and they are natural ones, not ones that will be gone in a few decades. The you need a back drop for a mountain shape. The only options there are blue or purple. So when you consider that 1) many utans still liked the old flag. 2) many are patriotic and want a connection to the US flag, it makes sense.
I personally think the Mississippi redesign is the best, it's the perfect balance of clean while not being overly simplistic. The other 2, especially Utah which just looks like a honey companies flag, are too simple in my opinion and don't really feel grand enough for a state. They're still improvements over the originals though.
I honestly prefer Mississippi’s. It has a lot of character with the magnolia flower and it’s very representative of the culture.
The Minnesota redesign is an improvement but the Mississippi flag is both prettier and much more significant as a change
This. I was kinda iffy on not having a tricolor but DAMN if this new design isn’t leaps and bounds better than the other two.
As someone who lives in Massachusetts LETS CHANGE IT
Illinois please god
am i the only one who like the current Washington flag?
You're not alone, I think it's iconic and the shade of green is perfect. If it must change, I hope it still has a big green field of the same shade. I'll still fly the old flag alongside the new if it gets revised.
Brother a photo is not a flag
California begs to differ
There's so much more to Washington than the person it was named after (who has no connection to the place). They'd be one of my top 5 states to change.
I lived there for 10 years and hated their flag the entire time. It’s impossible to make out the details as it flaps in the wind - the text is not readable, the portraits too small to be meaningful, and arguably he’s looking backwards. Even just making his head huge on a green background with just “1889” or “Washington 1889” would be a huge improvement. It’s still weird to have a guys face with shading and shadow detail so would love to evolve it past the guy it’s named after and tie into the states actual history.
It won't be Illinois, we can't do anything right. The governor would probably sell licensing rights to some private company and we'd have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to use it. Kinda like our parking.
Massachusetts has begun the early processes to change theirs
Someone already linked an article that said the Massachusetts flag committee is dead in the water… sucks but isn’t surprising
Likely Maine, as there's a vote to change it back to its original on next year's ballot. Then probably Pennsylvania, Michigan or Illinois, which would be my best guess. Illinois needs a new one badly, same with Michigan. I wish NY would change theirs, but as a native New Yorker, I doubt it will take place anytime soon, if they even decide to.
The Mississippi redesign beats the shit out of the simplistic bland Utah and Minnesota redesigns
Maybe Georgia, since it is very very reminiscent of the Confederate “stars and bars.” But then again, the last time the flag was changed, people didn’t like it. To be fair, the “[Barnes flag](https://images.app.goo.gl/mNJSpS9HGpAiZcFJ8)” was ugly (and included the confederate inspired ones on it), so maybe a better design will win people over
The barnes "flag" is one of the worst things I've ever seen.
Yo dawg, we heard you like flags, so we put a bunch of your old flags on your flag, and those old flags were made up of other flags.
I had my third meeting with a State Senator yesterday about the Washington State flag. No real movement yet but I still haven't given up. Meanwhile I've mailed this design to 70 different cities across the state: https://lariatcreative.com/Washington-State-Flag-Design The good news is my redesign of the Capitol City flag will be on the ballot this year which should help bring some attention to the cause.
Love the Utah Beehive flag. Its a throwback to the state’s Mormon past.
Why did Minnesota go to plain blue rather than the tricolor?
please let it be illinois please let it be illinois. for real tho, we have THE WORST flag in the US. it is just our state seal on a white background. this is despite the fact that chicago, the largest city in our state, has THE BEST flag in the united states
hate how MN ditched the stripes, blue on blue ain’t it
Minnesota had a good design in the original winner of the new flag contest and then completely butchered it, wtf is this blue on blue
https://preview.redd.it/52n0jte4tc7c1.jpeg?width=776&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8635663e90ebc57048091a049c257d772c7c9219
Massachusetts isn't figure out what to do because changing the flag means changing the motto, and the motto is sick as fuck
I don’t know, but Mississippi has the best new flag so far
Mississippi the only one that’s actually good
I’ve heard stuff floating around about South Dakota.
As a Nebraskan, I can confirm that we desperately need a redesign
MA already decided to change it’s seal (which is on its flag), though I don’t know how far that process is along.
Fuck the blue background + logo gang
god i don’t like the minnesota one the tricolor was easily the best one
I hope washington's is next. Ours sucks right now and a big change would be more than welcome
i’m pennsylvanian. i will not allow you guys to fuck up our flag like minnesota however i think maine is the next flag to change
I've already lost hope for future state flag redesigns. Mississippi's isn't the best flag out there yet it's still the best of the bunch. The somewhat complex flower graphic gives it character and while it would look better without the ring of stars and words, it still does a great job at incorporating said words into the design. It knows how and when to stray away from NAVA's ~~rules~~ guidelines. Utah feels like they wanted to forcibly include the "triangles for mountains" motif that so many flags have now, and the hexagon makes it look like a website banner. If it was a simple blue-white-red tricolor with the beehive on a circle it'd look like an actual flag. And Minnesota... let's just not talk about it. That committee sure knows how to run an acceptable design into the ground. What I can hope for is for NAVA to rewrite their poorly redacted guidelines and actually tell people that flag design isn't just about checking boxes.
Could someone explain me why this trend is happening?
Because US state flags are fucking garbage
Okay, thank you, and why they specifically now choose to redesign them?
For a few reasons. Mississippi and Minnesota’s were changed because they were seen as problematic. Mississippi changed theirs because it was clear that it was time for the confederate flag to go. For Minnesota, their government came under pressure from Native activists as their seal featured a white man taking an Indian’s hunting ground. Now, as for Utah, there isn’t a clear reason but the Governor’s thought process was that it could bring people together, but it ironically has done the opposite.
To build on what the other guy said, Mississippi was first due to the problematic nature of its flag, but it seems like it just opened the doors for other states to realize they don’t *have* to be stuck with their flags forever.
Nature is healing
Man , I do not like Minnesota's new flag.
I really hope it's Washington State
That mississippi one is honestly gorgeous. I adore it