AUGUSTA, Maine — Mainers will vote on whether to restore a version of the original 1901 state flag during the November presidential election in a side effect of infighting between Gov. Janet Mills and her fellow Democrats in the Legislature.
A measure that would have pushed the vote to 2026 was among the 35 bills that lawmakers approved on Friday, which was their last day of work for the year. Mills announced Tuesday that she would not act on any of those measures because of a disagreement with top lawmakers over advancing new spending on a day typically reserved for addressing vetoes.
It will make for a high-turnout decision on a hot cultural topic. The current military-style flag, which dates back to 1909, features the Maine seal on a blue background. The simpler design — used for eight years before that — has a blue star and a pine tree on a buff background.
It has risen over the last decade to become one of the state’s biggest symbols. The flag is already flown outside of homes and worked into branding schemes. That led to a layered debate in the State House about whether to change it. A law calling for voters to decide was passed in 2023. Mills delayed signing it so the issue would go to this year’s election.
But Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat who is charged with finalizing the new design, lobbied lawmakers this year to slow the process down and charge a commission with the design. She cited a conversation with her counterpart in Minnesota, which adopted a new design this year after a process run by a 14-member panel that sought broad input.
That measure, led by House Majority Leader Maureen Terry, D-Gorham, looked to be sailing through the State House this year until it was lumped in with the other measures that were pocket vetoed by the governor. Her move also doomed more substantive bills, including one that established a statewide rape kit tracking system.
Proponents argue that the current flag is overly complicated and indistinguishable from other state flags with seals on them. Not everyone approves of the simpler design. Many legislative Republicans have argued against a change, saying the seal’s depiction of a pine tree, moose, farmer and seaman properly reflect the state’s heritage.
Bellows will now be charged with finalizing the design. While no original 1901 flag exists, drawings of it depict a more photorealistic pine tree than the more cartoonish one on the currently popularized version of the original flag. In a statement, she said she will announce a process for making her decision soon.
“With a vote scheduled for this November, it will be important for voters to know what the ‘model’ version of the 1901 flag will be before they cast their ballots,” she said.
Sen. Eric Brakey, R-Auburn, who sponsored the 2023 amendment that sent the issue to the voters, thinks Bellows should simply put forward the already-popularized design. He saw her attempt to form a commission as a way to avoid making a decision that could be unpopular among some and said the state is ready for a vote.
“Presidential years are always huge turnout for Maine,” he said. “We have that opportunity now. It would be, I think, a mistake to pass that up.”
