Eight Minnesota DFL lawmakers have proposed a bill that would penalize cities and counties that do not fly the 2024 Minnesota state flag. 

“The commissioner of revenue must reduce the aid to a county or city … ten percent if the county or city flies or otherwise makes use of a state flag other than the design of the state flag as certified in the report of the State Emblems Redesign Commission,” the proposal says.

State DFL Rep. Mike Frieberg is one of the authors of the bill.

“I’ve been a little disappointed in the cities around Minnesota that have been kind of manufacturing this culture war over this state flag,” said Freiberg. “I felt like it was important for there to kind of be a statement legislatively in support of the new state flag, which is the official state flag.”

Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who is also running for Minnesota governor, says the bill has no chance.

“That bill is dead on arrival. There is no way this bill is moving through,” said Demuth. “To know that Democrats are trying to take funding away from our police and fire, from our cities, it’s ridiculous. We have real work that could help Minnesotans.”

On Monday, the Inver Grove Heights City Council voted to fly the old state flag on city property after more than an hour of public comment, joining other cities across the state, including Elk River, Champlin, Zumbrota and Plainview, in doing so.

Inver Grove Heights officials expect the switch back to the old flag will cost around $500 and take a few weeks to complete.

In 2023, the Legislature, which was DFL-controlled at the time, created a flag commission tasked with redesigning the flag and the state seal. The newly created symbols took effect in 2024. Freiberg helped lead the effort as lawmakers criticized the flag design and depiction of Native Americans.

“The old flag is not only kind of boring but also kind of racist,” Freiberg said.

Demuth says the flag commission’s decision process didn’t truly represent people across the state.

“They felt as Minnesotans, they were disrespected in the process and everyone I have talked to wants the old flag back or at least a choice in the matter,” she said.

The redesign commission said it heard over 20,000 public comments and considered more than 2,000 designs.

“We heard from thousands of Minnesotans as part of the flag process. It’s the job of the Legislature to choose the state symbols. That’s what we did. We followed the process,” Freiberg said.