A group of DFL lawmakers introduced legislation that would essentially compel Minnesota cities and counties to fly the new state flag. The new flag, which has become a political dividing-line in Minnesota, has been rejected by many localities throughout the state.
Introduced this week, HF 5077 would require state government to reduce a county or city’s local government aid (LGA) amount by 10 percent if that locality flies any flag other than the new flag. LGA is distributed by the state government to localities across Minnesota.
In 2023, Democrats created a 13-member commission to redesign the Minnesota state flag and seal. That commission eventually unveiled a new flag and seal design. However, the new designs were never formally approved by the voters or the state legislature.
Instead, the same law which created the commission also stipulated that the commission’s final flag selection would automatically become the official flag on May 11, 2024. Since the flag’s unveiling, many homes and local governments have chosen not fly it.
The cities of Champlin, Zumbrota, and Elk River are the most recent jurisdictions that have decided to fly the old state flag on city-owned property. Under current Minnesota law, local governments are not required to fly the official Minnesota state flag.
In many ways, the state flag has become symbolic of the political divide in Minnesota with Democrats supporting the new flag and Republicans flying the old flag. Many have noted the new flag’s resemblance to the Somali flag.
HF 5077 was introduced by Rep. Mike Freiberg, a Democrat who is currently running for a seat in the Minnesota Senate. Freiberg’s bill has several DFL co-authors such as Jay Xiong, Xp Lee, Alex Falconer, Samakab Hussein, and Katie Jones.
Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth reacted to the bill, saying, “let me be clear — this Democrat bill has NO path forward in the Minnesota House of Representatives.”
Alpha News contacted Freiberg and the House DFL Caucus seeking comment for this story but did not hear back prior to publication.
Currently, HF 5077 does not have a companion bill in the Senate. Furthermore, the bill was introduced after a key legislative deadline had passed. As such, the bill is unlikely to move this legislative session.
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
