New York's flag has been the same for a century. Why Andrew Cuomo wants to change it

ALBANY – As Latin expressions go, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a fondness for "e pluribus unum."

The Democrat has emblazoned the nation's traditional motto onto the walls of the airport in Rochester, a train station in Schenectady, a rest stop near Albany, the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and subway stops in New York City.

He's peppered it into dozens of speeches, including at the Democratic National Convention. The words hung from the balcony when he was inaugurated for a third term last year on Ellis Island.

Now, Cuomo wants to add his favored phrase to New York's flag.

The Democratic governor is proposing to tweak the state coat of arms, asking lawmakers to support adding "e pluribus unum" — Latin for "out of many, one" — to the image at the center of the state flag and official seal.

Cuomo unveiled the proposal as part of his State of the State address last week, making the case it would deliver a powerful, unifying message at a time when the nation is sharply divided.

But it would also require Cuomo and lawmakers to do what no one has done in New York in 138 years: Change the coat of arms, which has elements dating back to the Revolutionary War.

"In this term of turmoil, let New York state remind the nation of who we are," Cuomo said in his Jan. 8 speech. "Let's add 'e pluribus unum' to the seal of our state and proclaim at this time the simple truth that without unity, we are nothing."

Few changes since 1777

New York first crafted an official seal in 1777, more than a decade before it ratified the U.S. Constitution. It included an image of a sun rising over the mountains.

The next year, the state detailed an official coat of arms, which was placed on the seal and is similar to the current image.

In the century that followed, the state altered the image just four more times. The current arms and seal was adopted in 1882, when a state committee offered up a detailed, almost poetic description that remains in state law today.

The law describes the image of an American eagle "rising to the dexter from a two-thirds of a globe terrestrial, showing the north Atlantic ocean with outlines of its shores."

Below it is a landscape showing the sun "rising in splendor ... behind a range of three mountains." Two ships — representing intrastate and international commerce — pass by on a river. On one side is Lady Liberty; on the other stands Lady Justice.

At the bottom is a single Latin word, the state's motto: "Excelsior," which is Latin for "ever upward" and has graced the state's seal since 1777.

As set in law, the coat of arms is featured on both the state flag and the seal, which is to authenticate documents. By law, it is officially known as the "The Great Seal of New York State."

The current flag was adopted in 1901, when lawmakers changed the backdrop from light brown to blue.

Symbol is ubiquitous in New York

In his Jan. 8 speech, Cuomo specifically said he wanted to change the seal. Rich Azzopardi, his senior adviser, later confirmed the governor wants to change all three: the coat of arms, the flag and the seal.

The seal, in particular, is ubiquitous within state government, plastered on letterhead, lecterns and throughout state offices — even doorknobs in the state Capitol.

When Cuomo delivered his proposal, the image appeared on the front of his podium, a curtain behind him, a state flag next to him and a giant video screen to his left.

Executive Branch employees on an after-work softball team once even named themselves the Great Seals, complete with a logo on their jersey featuring the marine mammal balancing the state seal on its nose.

Cuomo's proposal doesn't suggest removing anything from the official image, including "Excelsior," which he also uses frequently in speeches.

Instead, he wants to add "e pluribus unum" to the same scroll just below "Excelsior," a double dose of Latin at the bottom of the symbol.

If approved, Azzopardi said state flags and seals would only be replaced only as they reach the end of their natural life or fall into disrepair, limiting cost concerns.

Historians weigh in

Devin Lander, New York's state historian, declined comment via a state Education Department spokeswoman, who noted the state Department of State is the official custodian of the state seal and its history.

The State Department is part of Cuomo's administration.

Jack McEneny, who served 20 years in the state Assembly and is an unofficial historian of the state Capitol, said he is indifferent toward Cuomo's proposal so long as the governor doesn't displace "Excelsior."

"I know why he's saying it, because we're an extraordinarily diversified state and we're very proud of it," McEneny said. "I think putting the idea out there — seeing how the legislators and public react to it — is interesting, but I don't have strong feelings on it one way or the other."

State flag experts, meanwhile, have long found the design of New York's flag uninspiring.

The flag simply features the coat of arms in the middle of a solid blue background. It's one of about 15 states with a similar motif that flag experts refer to as a "seal on a bed sheet," according to Al Cavalari, who sells and ships flags nationwide from his The Flag Guys shop in New Windsor, Orange County.

Adding more words to New York's flag won't do anything to make it stand out, Cavalari said.

He urged Cuomo to hold a competition to come up with a design with more imagery rather than lettering. He pointed to Alaska's famed flag, whose design — selected via a contest in 1927 — features the Big Dipper and the North Star.

"To add more lettering to the flag is not a good idea in terms of design, although I applaud the idea of the motto 'e pluribus unum,'" Cavalari said.

"But there's a way to show that with symbols rather than letters."

Will lawmakers support the change?

Cuomo will need lawmakers' support in order to make any changes to the coat of arms, flag or seal.

So far, it's unclear whether the Legislature will embrace a tweak to the historic state symbols. The proposal could be part of budget negotiations for the fiscal year that starts April 1.

"We will take a look at it," said Mike Murphy, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers.

Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, Oswego County, said the state has bigger issues to worry about.

"There are $6.1 billion more important things to be focused on," Barclay said, referring to the size of the state's looming budget deficit.

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Jon Campbell covers state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network New York. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@gannett.com and followed on Twitter: @JonCampbellGAN.