Minnesota Legislature / Foreign-made flags facing ban

03/16/2007

Pioneer Press
March 16,2007


On Thursday, the Minnesota House, after a long and emotional debate that featured members quoting Abraham Lincoln, the Pledge of Allegiance, Ronald Reagan and the Declaration of Independence, approved a measure to require that all American flags sold in Minnesota be made in America.

The vote was 83-46. The bill awaits action in the Senate.

"It's time to bring the flag home," said Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker.

But legislative opponents, including several with military backgrounds, argued it was wrong — and possibly unconstitutional — to close Minnesota's borders to foreign-produced flags.

"That flag should be made throughout the world because it is our message to the world that there is hope for freedom and justice," said Rep. Dan Severson, R-Sauk Rapids.

Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, has long offered the "made in America" measure without success.

The measure would make it a misdemeanor to sell an American flag not made in the United States. That potential penalty drove some to oppose the measure.

"It feels good to be for a bill like this," said Rep. Marty Seifert, R-Marshall. But he added, "This is serious business when we are talking about 90 days in jail and $1,000 fine."

Rukavina dismissed those objections.

"That's absolutely as absurd as putting a label on your pillow saying, 'Do not remove under penalty of law.' … You can try to pretend this is going to put people in jail. It isn't," Rukavina said.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that U.S. flags worth a total of $5.5 million were imported in 2005, with China producing the bulk of those.

During the debate, legislators offered several amendments, including criminalizing the destruction of the American flag, making English the state's official language and requiring lawmakers to drive American-made cars. All were ruled out of order or voted down.