Friends and neighbors:

Our state flag and seal have represented the people of Minnesota for generations, but in just one session, members of the majority party decided to get rid of our current state flag and seal.

The new state flag and seal came about through a provision in last year’s state government finance budget bill, which created the State Emblems Redesign Commission. As a result, a group of thirteen unelected people were brought together to redesign our state emblems. Though I have heard from members of our community that they are unhappy with the final designs themselves, a main concern is how they felt cut out of the process.

During a period of just a few months, the State Emblems Redesign Commission met to choose our new state flag and seal. However, the process was extremely rushed for such an important change.

We should have provided greater opportunities for Minnesotans to weigh in, ensuring broad-based support. Further, I believe the Minnesota Legislature, which is accountable to the people of Minnesota, should have been more involved in the process.

To address concerns about the new state emblems, members of the Republican caucuses recently held a press conference and rolled out legislation to allow for public input and bring the seal design in line with the law. Our package of bills includes legislation that will give Minnesotans the final say in the state flag, such as a binding referendum on the 2024 ballot or a requirement for the legislature to adopt the designs with a 2/3 majority vote.

Additionally, we must fix the design of the state seal. The commission chose a seal that goes against a law that prohibits the use of symbols or styles representing only one community in the design. This is due to the decision to use the Dakota language, “Mni Sóta Makoce” in place of the state’s official motto, “L’etoile du Nord.”

The new seal design also does not include the year, 1858, of our state’s founding. Therefore, there will be two bills to address these concerns: one to remove the Dakota language and one to add the year back to the seal.

Our state flag and seal should unite us, and every Minnesotan should have a voice in what those symbols look like. However, according to polling released by KSTP, less than one-quarter of Minnesotans want to use the new flag.

Clearly, the new flag is not representative of our state. I hope to see my colleagues across the aisle join us in giving Minnesotans the final say. We have until May 11, Minnesota’s Statehood Day, before the new state flag will fly.

I always welcome constituent comments and questions and can be reached by telephone at (651) 296-8138, by mail at 2219 Minnesota Senate Building, St. Paul, MN 55155, or by e-mail at sen.gary.dahms@mnsenate.mn.

— Senator Dahms represents District 15 in the Minnesota Senate