McLeod County commissioners will vote Jan. 16 on whether to formally oppose the redesigned Minnesota state flag and seal.
“I don’t know if this was thought through properly,” Commissioner Doug Krueger said during the Jan. 2 board meeting. “I mean, this is going to cost a lot. All the state seals and flags in the state, the police badges, the list goes on and on.”
Krueger asked to add the item to the agenda for the next board meeting, saying he had received a number of calls and emails about the change.
Earlier this year, the Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution opposing the change to the state flag and seal.
“I’ve been in touch with the legislators,” Krueger said. “Our particular legislators are all opposed to doing this in the first place. But again, that’s why I’d like to hear if any of the other boards have any or board members have any comments.”
Chairman Paul Wright echoed the message.
“I’ve had people reach out to me, as well, and once the news of Crow Wing’s actions hit the news, and I can agree with that,” he said. “So I’m glad that you brought this forward today and I think it’s responsible for us to at least consider putting it on the agenda for our next board meeting to have that discussion and provide opportunity for constituents to be able to have a conversation with us prior to and during that meeting.”
Minnesota’s current seal and flag, which shows a white settler plowing a field while a Native American man on horseback rides off into the sunset, has been criticized as being racist.
“The old symbol, kind of has character. It tells the history of our state,” Krueger said.
During the Jan. 2 meeting, county Auditor-Treasurer Connie Kurtzweg questioned when her department would be required to make the changes.
“The certification seal that I stamp everything with will need to be updated,” she said. “Along with all of the marriage certificate paper, which is very expensive paper, and we just ordered a stock of it at the end of last year.”
According to the law, state agencies and departments will be able to use materials with the old seal until they run out on or Jan. 1 2025, whichever occurs first.
Many other states are in the process of updating their flags. Last winter, the Utah legislature gave the green light to a design showcasing a beehive, symbolizing the prosperity and hard work of its Mormon pioneers. Mississippi opted for a new flag featuring a magnolia, replacing a Confederate-themed design. States like Michigan, Illinois and Maine are also contemplating simplifying their flags.
If the board approves the proposed county resolution, a letter will be sent to Gov. Tim Walz and state lawmakers to express the board’s discontent with the redesign.
