Several cities and counties in Minnesota have rebelled against the new design of the state flag promoted by Democratic Governor Tim Walz and continue to display the old official emblem, in a dispute that has already transformed into a new source of political and cultural tension within the state.
The rejection has been particularly visible in the city of Champlin, located in the Minneapolis metropolitan area, where local authorities decided to keep the previous flag despite the entry into force of the new design approved in 2023.
Mayor Ryan Sabas became one of the most critical voices against the process promoted by the state administration and accused the Democratic government of excluding citizens from a decision that he considers profoundly symbolic for the identity of Minnesota.
According to Sabas, he had never before received so many opinions from residents on the same issue. The mayor maintains that a clear majority of the inhabitants of his city prefer to keep the old state flag and believes that the new design does not adequately represent local history or culture.
“These are the people's flag poles. This is a decision of the people,” said Sabas, who harshly questioned the communist governor Walz and the legislature controlled by the democrats for delegating the re-design to a small commission instead of allowing a broad debate or a popular consultation
.
The replacement of the Minnesota flag The old Minnesota
flag, used since 1983, had a blue background with the state seal, which included the image of a farmer and an American Indian, in addition to the motto and the date of the founding of the state. The new design, much more minimalist, shows a dark geometric figure that represents the map of the state, a light blue background and an eight-pointed star inspired by the so-called North Star or the Somali flag
.Although the commission responsible for the re-design assured that the process included public participation and more than 2,500 proposals submitted by citizens, opponents point out that the final decision was taken by a small group that did not reflect the general opinion of the population. For Sabas, the Democrats took advantage of their control of the governorate, the House of Representatives and the state Senate to impose a change
without enough social consensus.“They could have taken the issue to the full legislature and allowed everyone to vote, but they chose to let a select group decide for millions of people,” criticized the mayor.
The flag debate has also become a symbol of wider political discontent. Some conservative sectors consider that the new emblem eliminates important historical elements and describe it as “cold”, “empty” and devoid of identity. Other critics have pointed out the clear similarities between the new flag and the Somali flag, a comparison that has been used especially in conservative political circles and social networks
