Concerns repeatedly raised have been substantiated by the September 8, 2025, MassDOT document release. The records reveal undisclosed communications and conflicts of interest involving the Head of the MassDOT Selection Committee and Applegreen’s bidding team. This conduct undermines the integrity of the process and demands immediate investigation, accountability, and disqualification of Applegreen to preserve public trust. Learn more.
Gov. Maura Healey doesn’t seem to want to touch proposals for a new state seal and flag with a 10-foot pole.
Just before Labor Day, a special commission came up with several finalists for a new state seal, flag and motto for Massachusetts, culled from more than 1,100 submissions from residents.
The commission, with a $100,000 budget, was the second attempt after the first legislatively created commission was unable to come up with alternatives and disbanded.
The current state flag and seal, which features an Indigenous person with a sword above his head, held by a floating arm, has been described as demeaning. The commission offered up options that leaned on Bay State flora and fauna. The options involved a blue whale, turkey feathers, a chickadee, a mayflower and the Blue Hills.
Governors and Boston mayors frequently field questions on a variety of issues during their public appearances throughout each week. But at a State House press conference on public health issues on Wednesday, Healey sought to laugh off an off-topic question about the state seal and flag proposals.
“I support that there was a legislative commission to look at this. I think it’s the state seal, the flag and the motto maybe?” Healey wondered before a reporter confirmed that was indeed the case.
“Sure, have a look at it, and I'm sure there'll be discussion, you know, over the ensuing time and years, and an opportunity,” she said. “I think they make recommendations at some point.”
The reporter helpfully pointed out there are existing recommendations that came out weeks ago. “But I think there's going to be more discussion, all that,” Healey responded, before adding that she is focused on a “bunch of stuff” that does not involve the state seal or flag.
“Public health, that we're talking about today,” she said, referring to new vaccine guidance that recommends children ages six to 23 months and all adults receive the COVID-19 shot. “Building more homes, driving down housing costs, right? Bringing more energy into the region so we can lower people's energy bills. We've got, you know, ongoing issues with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in our communities, right? And, you know, these are the things that I'm focused on.”
Vaccines are a more popular and less divisive topic than a state flag and seal, which invites the public to offer up hot takes and make-your-own emblems. It’s an easy-to-grasp issue, and while Healey’s GOP rivals, Mike Kennealy and Brian Shortsleeve, kept quiet as Healey launched a counteroffensive to the Trump administration’s shifting vaccine policy, they’ve weighed in support of the current flag and seal.
Kennealy, who served as Gov. Charlie Baker’s economic development chief, somewhat agreed with Healey on there being bigger problems in state government. He called changing the flag “an operational nightmare at a time when we already face far more pressing issues.” He added: “I cannot understand why the state would choose to spend millions of dollars replacing every flag, motto and seal.”
What should the state do with the proposed changes? Make a third attempt or forget the whole effort? Let me know: [email protected].
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Legislative and Membership Administrator, Utility Contractors’ Association of New England |
Director of Finance, Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance |
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HAPPENING TODAY
8:00 | Thursday is Massachusetts Day at Eastern States Exposition. The Big E runs from Sept. 12-28. Gates open at 8 a.m., with buildings and the Avenue of States opening at 10 a.m. Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll are slated to attend at 1 p.m. Adult tickets cost $20. | 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield | More Info
10:30 | Mass. Taxpayers Foundation and Associated Industries of Massachusetts hold a joint housing policy event entitled, "Tax Credits and Housing Production." Secretary of Housing Ed Augustus gives an introduction, MTF President Doug Howgate provides an update on the state's housing production goals and AIM President Brooke Thomson moderates a panel on how the state's housing tax credits can be an effective tool to reduce tax liability while helping the state meet its production goals. | 30 Federal St., Boston
12:30 | The Health Policy Commission Board meets for the first time since new members were appointed, including Gov. Healey's controversial selection of Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association CEO Steve Walsh. Agenda includes a review of the proposed affiliation between CVS and Mass General Brigham, with the retail pharmacy chain expanding into the primary care space. HPC staff will also share new research on the "hospital at home" care model. | Agenda and Livestream
FROM BEACON HILL
CANNABIS COMMISSION: Shannon O’Brien is still set to return as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission, notching another legal win with a single justice of the Appeals Court. Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who lost the case to remove her from the post after a Superior Court judge sided with O’Brien, has continued the legal battle. – Boston Globe
CHANCELLOR SEARCH: With Dr. Michael Collins, the longtime chancellor of UMass Chan Medical School, set to step down after nearly 20 years, a search committee started work to find his successor. The group includes Karyn Polito and Tim Murray, two former lieutenant governors.– State House News Service
Boston is at an economic crossroads. The vitality of its downtown business district, drained by the COVID-19 epidemic, continues to slowly rebound but has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Commercial property values have declined, creating the potential for major budget challenges for the most property-tax dependent big city in America. With Boston’s financial underpinnings at risk, what is the strategy and vision for Boston’s future, particularly for its major business districts? Join business and community leaders to explore challenges and opportunities ahead. Register here!
NEWS NEXT DOOR
HOUSING STARTS: The Boston metro area is falling behind other parts of the country in housing starts, trailing smaller metro areas like Boise, Idaho and Greenville, South Carolina. – Boston Business Journal
CITY HALL SUIT: A former Wu administration employee, fired after the police came to her boyfriend’s Chinatown apartment and arrested her, is suing Mayor Michelle Wu and the city. She alleges Wu is seeking to protect her economic development chief, who propositioned her. – Boston Globe
TEACHERS UNION: The Massachusetts Teachers Association is clashing with Republicans after asking school districts not to punish teachers for comments about right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. – MassLive
NO ADMISSION: The state’s last two intermediate care facilities, which serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, haven't taken new residents since 2023, raising questions over whether the state is looking to close them. – GBH News
DISTRICT ADDITION: A study group in the Berkshires is exploring regionalization of school districts, and two more districts have signed up as they face declining enrollment and rising costs. – Berkshire Eagle
MORE HEADLINES
JOB BOARD
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Executive Director, Massachusetts State College Building Authority
Collaborative Consultant, Providers’ Council
Assistant Director of Human Resources, City of Chelsea
Retirement/Benefits Specialist, Hampden County Sheriff’s Office
Strategic Researcher, Boston Teachers Union
Director of Partnerships and Engagement, Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
Manager of Government Affairs, Massachusetts Association of Approved Private Special Education Schools
Chief Executive Officer, Boston Public Market Association
Deputy Director of Planning, Preservation, and Zoning, City of Somerville
General Counsel, Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General
Grant Writer, City of Somerville
