Commission moves forward with 1 state seal finalist

The state commission tasked with choosing a new official flag and seal has moved forward with one design for the seal.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the State Emblems Redesign Commission unanimously chose to move ahead with seal submission No. 224.

That means the commission won’t any longer consider the other seal finalists, however, some slight design modifications may still be made to No. 224 before the commission formally adopts its choice. Specifically, members of the committee were considering changes to the stars, making the loon’s eye color red, and debating whether or not the state motto should be on the seal and in what language.

Meanwhile, the commission is still moving forward with all six flag finalists and will work to trim that down, possibly to the top choice, next Tuesday.

With the commission’s choices due in less than a month — Jan. 1 — members have to move quickly to narrow down their choices and decide on any modifications to the designs. The panel chose its top finalists on Nov. 21.

To see the finalists, click here.

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who is on the commission, issued the following statement Tuesday:

“This is a great day for the State of Minnesota. Throughout the process, I have advocated to hear from Minnesotans across the state on what they want to see reflected in our state emblems. I believe the design the commission has chosen for final refinement as our state seal speaks to the thousands of comments we’ve received. It is memorable, visually appealing, and distinctly Minnesotan – highlighting several of our state’s most distinctive symbols and qualities. I hope that Minnesotans will unite around all these emblems. I look forward to completing this process with my fellow commissioners.”