Maine Hit the Pause Button on Choosing the New State Flag this Year

There's been an awful lot of hub-bub about our state flag.

The last couple years have created pretty hot debates on what our state flag should look like. Some folks like it just the way it is. Some people think the current one is kind of busy and doesn't fully represent Maine's way of life. It actually is pretty hard to tell what's on the current flag, unless you're right up close.

On the other hand, the more recent proposals to switch our flag to something resembling a version of the flag proposed back in 1901 has just as many people up in arms. It's already headed towards becoming a new license plate, but not everyone loves this newly reimagined design.

After much debate, it was decided it would go to the people to decide.

It was slated to go to referendum this fall, but has been pushed back to 2024. Mostly because, like with anything in state government, there's a certain amount of cost associated with getting referendums processed properly. Gov. Mills opted to not sign this fall's vote into being, as opposed to rushing the process.

Even though it's not official, you can actually buy a 1901 flag if you want. They're pretty easy to find online...

Utah tried to make a similar change recently, according to the BDN, and though it passed, people began circulating petitions immediately to try and get their state flag put back the way it was. Will the same thing happen in Maine? Hard to say, but it certainly isn't beyond the realm of possibility.

So if you have an opinion about the Maine's flag in either direction, you'll have to wait another year for the debate to be settled. And again, based on what's happened in other places, will the debate be truly settled? You can always ask another Mainer. We're always good at telling people exactly what we think.

Let's all calm down with funny animal stories...