ST. PAUL – State Rep. Bernie Perryman, R-St. Cloud, said she opposes a House Democrat bill that reduces state funding to cities and counties that choose to fly the old state flag instead of the new version.
The bill (H.F. 5077) comes at a time when numerous local governments have chosen to fly the customary 1983 version instead of the one developed by a 13-member commission Democrats in full control of the Capitol selected in 2023 to redesign Minnesota’s flag and seal. The proposed measure would reduce local government aid by 10 percent for entities choosing to display any other flag than the one that became official in 2024.
Perryman said LGA is a key source of state funding for local governments – helping communities pay for essential services such as police and fire departments – making this a significant financial penalty for noncompliance.
“You could look at this as yet another unfunded mandate on Minnesota taxpayers,” Perryman said. “By authoring this bill, House Democrats are saying, ‘fly the flag we want you to fly, like it or not, or you’re going to pay for it.’ This is big government at its worst. I thought we were supposed to be pushing back against this kind of authoritarianism.”
While the commission ultimately selected the new design, Perryman said it was not directly approved by voters or the legislature. Instead, the enabling law specified that the commission’s final choice would automatically become the official state flag on May 11, 2024.
“We could have avoided this fiasco if the former trifecta had done more to involve the public in the process of developing a new flag,” Perryman said. “Or, we could have just left well enough alone and kept the old flag if that’s what Minnesotans wanted.”
The new design has faced continued resistance from some residents and local governments, with several cities – including Champlin, Zumbrota, Elk River and Inver Grove Heights – opting to continue flying the former flag on public property. Current state law does not require local governments to display the official flag.
Apart from House Republicans opposing the bill in a tied House, Perryman said it also faces procedural hurdles because it was introduced after this year’s legislative deadlines had passed. It also does not yet have a companion measure in the Senate.
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