BALDWIN — Baldwin city officials are standing by their decision to fly the former Minnesota state flag, even as the issue continues to spark debate across the state.
The Baldwin City Council initially voted in March to fly the former flag.
“The state flag is not only a symbol of our state, but also of our history and contains historical information that is part of the rich history of our state,” the city’s resolution states.
Nearly a month later, council members heard pushback from residents who asked the city to reverse its decision and instead fly the current flag.
Residents said the newer design is more visually appealing and better reflects Minnesota, including respect for the state’s Indigenous communities.
Despite the concerns, the council chose to maintain its decision.
“I believe the old flag represents more people — businesses, farms, everything,” council member Alan Walker said.
“I absolutely disagree with the process of selecting the new flag,” Baldwin Mayor Jay Swanson said. “The seal shows the crops, it shows the farmers, Indigenous people — it shows everything about Minnesota.”
Baldwin is among a growing number of Minnesota cities revisiting the state flag following its redesign in 2024.
When St. Francis voted in January to return to the former flag, city leaders framed the move as a message to state officials. Since then, more than a dozen cities have chosen to fly the former design or display it in city buildings.
Other cities that have taken similar action include Ham Lake, Inver Grove Heights, Spring Lake Park, Hill City, Janesville and Wahkon, according to AMM-ECM reporting. Champlin voted 3-2 in February to continue flying the former flag.
The Elk River City Council also considered the issue after a resident survey found 74.6% of about 1,100 respondents supported displaying the former flag, while 24.4% preferred the current version.
In some communities, however, the current state flag remains in place.
In Columbus, city officials discussed the issue during a March workshop after receiving feedback from residents. The council ultimately allowed staff to decide which flag to fly, and the current flag remains displayed at city offices.
In Wyoming, the City Council voted 5-0 on May 5 to remove all state flags and instead fly the city flag as a compromise.
“After reading everything, there are people who want to keep the new flag, there are people who want to go back to the old flag,” council member Lisa Iverson said. “I would like to see us fly the Wyoming flag, the city of Wyoming flag, and fly that proudly.”
Council members Brett Ohnstad and Linda Nanko-Yeager supported the move as a middle ground.
“I think showing pride in our city is a good compromise,” Ohnstad said.
Council member Dennis Schilling initially raised concerns about whether the decision could affect state funding but ultimately supported the change, saying he opposed returning to the former flag but was open to flying the city flag.
The broader debate has also reached the state Legislature.
On April 27, a bill was introduced in the Minnesota House that would reduce aid to cities and counties that use the former state flag. The proposal would direct the commissioner of revenue to reduce aid by 10% if a city or county flies or otherwise uses a state flag other than the design certified by the State Emblems Redesign Commission. The change would take effect with aids payable in 2027.
The bill, HF 5077, was introduced by Rep. Mike Freiberg and other DFL House members. House Speaker Lisa Demuth said on X, formerly Twitter, that the bill was “dead on arrival.”
“There is no way this bill is moving through,” Demuth wrote. “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.”
State Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, said she is carrying a companion bill in the Senate.
“(Rep. Mike) Freiberg and I were a part of this,” Kunesh said. “It’s important that municipalities respect the decision that was made. I stand by it.”
The current Minnesota state flag was adopted May 11, 2024, following recommendations from the State Emblems Redesign Commission. The previous flag included imagery that had long drawn criticism from Native American groups, while supporters of the former design have cited historical and aesthetic reasons for keeping it.
AMM editors Chloe Smith, Jim Boyle, Kat Robb, Bob Statz, and Stacy Dahl all contributed to this report.