Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota are attempting to penalize a growing number of cities that refuse to fly the new state flag, which replaced a design some considered racist. The previous flag, featuring a Native American on horseback, was replaced in 2024 with a new design that critics say resembles the flag of Somalia.
Proposed Legislation
On Monday, a group of Minnesota House members from the Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) Party introduced a bill to cut state funding by 10 percent to any city that does not fly the new flag. Representative Mike Freiberg, a co-sponsor, told KSTP: 'I've been a little bit irritated with some of the cities that are, I mean, in my mind, they're kind of manufacturing this culture war. We followed the process; the state legislature is in charge of adopting state symbols. Cities should be focused on real issues.'
Local Resistance
The legislation was introduced on the same day that Inver Grove Heights City Council approved a resolution to fly the old flag. Mayor Brenda Dietrich stated: 'While change can be inevitable, the public reaction to the new flag has thus far been overwhelmingly negative and underwhelmingly accepted, with many residents feeling a meaningful connection has been lost.' Other cities voting against the new flag include Elk River, Champlin, Zumbrota, Crosslake, and Plainview.
Political Reactions
Speaker of the Minnesota House Lisa Demuth rejected the bill outright, writing on Facebook: 'Let me be clear - this Democrat bill has NO path forward in the Minnesota House of Representatives.' Crosslake Mayor Jackson Purfeerst called it government overreach: 'Punishing local governments for exercising their right to choose, on something that is supposed to be voluntary, does not reflect Minnesota values. It is an overreach of power, plain and simple.' Champlin Mayor Ryan Sabas told Fox News the bill is 'absolutely ridiculous' and that 'every week there's another city or two or three that are passing the same resolution.'
Flag Design Controversy
The old flag, dating to 1893, featured a Native American on horseback, which some called racist. The new design has a dark blue field shaped like the state with an eight-point star (the North Star) and a light blue section representing water. Critics argue it resembles Somalia's flag, which has a white five-point star on light blue. Artist Andrew Prekker said he drew inspiration from Minnesota's history and culture, adding: 'Any similarities people want to see are a coincidence.'
Minnesota is home to over 80,000 Somali-origin residents, including Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The flag issue has become a culture war flashpoint, with former President Donald Trump previously claiming Somalis were 'completely taking over' Minnesota, leading to increased immigration enforcement.
