This Statehood Day, Minnesota (officially) has a new flag

ST. PAUL, Minn. (GRAY) – Minnesota celebrated its 166th birthday with two new state symbols: a new state flag and a new state seal.

The State Emblems Redesign Commission (SERC) conducted a months-long process toward the tail-end of 2023. The process saw an immense amount of public submissions and comment, eventually yielding one finalist for each emblem.

“SERC focused on public input, receiving 2128 flag submissions and 399 seal submissions and taking in nearly 22,000 written comments from Minnesotans all over our state,” said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.

The process ended with a handful of sessions that each lasted hours on end. Saturday, several members of the SERC attended a ceremony to watch the new symbols be unveiled. The day kicked off with an early-morning retirement of the old state flag, as the Minnesota National Guard raised the new flag over the statehouse at sunrise.

Later, members attended a reception, where Simon lauded their efforts.

“We can’t possibly know what Minnesota will be like in 100 years, but we can hope that whatever it’s like, its people will find strength and inspiration and connections in the emblems that we have adopted today,” he said.

Simon awarded a Medallion Award to four recipients.

“The medallion award is sanctioned by the National Association [of Secretaries of State], and it is the highest honor that can be bestowed by a Secretary of State in any state in the United States of America,” he said, “the process for being able to bestow that award is not a simple one.”

The four recipients are:

• Luis Fitch, Chair of the State Emblems Redesign Commission
• Dr. Anita Gaul, Vice-Chair of the State Emblems Redesign Commission
• Andrew Prekker, Designer of the Minnesota State Flag
• Ross Bruggink, Designer of the Minnesota State Seal

The Secretary of State also signed the first state proclamation with the new seal on it as part of Saturday’s event.

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