Bye-bye, birdie: Maine’s chickadee makes way for star, pine tree on new license plate

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s first new license plate in a quarter century gives homage to an old flag that’s growing in popularity and reappearing on hats, totes and T-shirts. The plate unveiled Monday features a simple pine tree and the North Star, both featured on the state’s first official flag in 1901. Maine residents will vote in November on whether to adopt a similar design on a new state flag. The new license plate will be available next year. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said public safety is the No. 1 reason for retiring the old chickadee plates, which were introduced in 1999. Many of the older plates are in rough shape and are hard to read.