New Minnesota state flag becomes partisan issue in 2024

Minnesota Republican leaders are ramping up their opposition to the new state flag, hoping to turn anger over the redesign into an election-year issue.

Rep. Bjorn Olson, R-Fairmont, and Sen. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, both nonvoting members of the State Emblems Redesign Commission, plan to introduce legislation in the upcoming session to put the final design to a vote of the public in the fall.

The Secretary of State's Office has raised questions about whether such legislation is constitutional. But both legislators said they felt the process was rushed — the commission had to decide on a new flag and seal design in four months — and the public didn't get enough chances to testify in front of the commission.

Earlier this month, David Hann, the chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, also denounced the new state flag along with Deputy Chair Donna Bergstrom, arguing that the old flag was historically significant and arguing that the DFL is on a "quest to erase our history." They're raising money by selling "don't PC our flag" and "erasing history" T-shirts on the party's website.

Unlike the old flag, blue with the old state seal at its center, the new design features an abstract shape of Minnesota, an eight-pointed white North Star and light blue representing the state's waters.

There's no appetite from Democrats in the majority to change or undo that design in the upcoming session, said Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, who sponsored the legislation to create the commission and sat on it as a nonvoting member.

"We're happy to support the decision of the committee, and while we know that it's not the choice that everyone would have made, we feel like it's a good, strong flag and will serve Minnesota for a long time," she said.

She pointed to the many articles written about the redesign, more than 2,000 flag and seal designs submitted to the commission and more than 20,000 comments on a handful of finalists as evidence that the public was engaged in the process.

"I learned so much and heard from such a diverse group of voices," she said. "You could tell that there was a large amount of Minnesota's population that was paying attention."

The state Department of Administration is in the middle of doing an inventory of every state flag and seal located on the State Capitol campus. That monthlong process, which started earlier this month, ends Feb. 10. The new flag and seal will start appearing in buildings on May 11, which is Statehood Day.

But in a show of support for the old flag, at least four Minnesota counties have adopted resolutions rejecting the new design. Crow Wing County was first, followed by Nobles, Houston and McLeod. Some local officials cited the cost of replacing the old flags. The Faribault City Council has also discussed writing a letter of opposition to the new flag.

The old flag is also attracting some newfound fans. In Rochester, Lee Herold's flag shop has seen a sudden interest in the old flag, as first reported by local KIMT News 3. He said this week that he's sold hundreds of old Minnesota state flags — more in the past month than he did over an entire year.

"The interest in the old flag has skyrocketed," he said. "Up until now, the flag hasn't been popular."

In fact, before the flag entered the political debate, Herold said some people visiting Herold Flags couldn't even identify what Minnesota's state flag looked like, and sales of other states' flags eclipsed this one. Now, he said, customers are flocking to his store to buy the flag either because they don't like the new design or just to get a historical artifact of the former flag.

He's sold little merchandise featuring the new flag, but he said that's because inventory of the new flag is low and isn't expected to increase until February.

Herold has long advocated for a new state flag, even presenting to the commission. He said he's not a fan of the new flag, but may grow to like it over time. He said he'll continue to sell the old flag in his store as long as there's a demand alongside versions of the new flag.

"If the people of Minnesota come to like it, then I'm really happy," he said.