Massachusetts Panel Requests Second Extension for State Flag, Seal, Motto Redesign

The Massachusetts Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Commission has requested another extension beyond the Dec. 15 deadline to submit recommendations for a redesigned state flag, seal, and motto.

The Legislature, which created the commission, set a July 2025 deadline that was missed and later extended by about five months.

This commission is the second such group to try tackling the contentious subject in recent years. The first commission, created by state lawmakers in 2021, disbanded by the end of 2023 without offering any concrete proposals.

“The Seal, Flag, and Motto Advisory Commission has been hard at work engaging experts and the public about what they want to see in our state's symbols,” a spokesperson for the commission said in a statement to Boston.com. “We believe that more time is needed to ensure robust community engagement.”

Earlier this year, the commission appeared to be making some headway when it released three flag, seal, and motto ideas to the public for review. These submissions were chosen from more than 1,000 ideas proposed by the public. Commission members, however, emphasized that they were not set-in-stone finalists and subject to change based on public hearings and feedback.

Any recommendations would still require the governor to propose legislation and for lawmakers to approve changes to the seal, flag, and motto. The current 1898 seal features an Indigenous figure and a sword with a Latin motto encircling the image, a design criticized by some for glorifying colonial violence.

The commission's proposed designs have elicited strong public opinion, with individuals supporting and opposing the proposed changes.

According to Boston.com, Kate Fox, the executive director of the state's Office of Travel and Tourism and the commission's co-chair, and commission members met during subcommittee meetings this fall to discuss public education about the seal's history and ongoing efforts to update it. 

Gov. Maura Healey, who is running for reelection next year, has expressed general support for rethinking the state's iconography. Some Republican primary candidates, such as Mike Kennealy, have criticized the process and have pushed to dissolve the commission or shift its focus.