Capitol View for December 13

Good morning. It’s only Wednesday.

A few flags are in contention to be the new flag. As Dana Ferguson, MPR’s resident flag reporter , writes, the State Emblems Redesign Commission shrunk the field of finalists from six to three, advancing designs with prominent stars but far different concepts. They’re still working on refining them and could swap in elements from other flags that were once considered. But the commission could meet again Friday with hopes of getting it all done. The new design will replace the current flag in May unless the Legislature steps in and rejects the concept, which would take a groundswell of lawmaker resistance. Designers of several flags appeared before the panel earlier in the day, explaining why they chose colors and concepts and what they represent.

The seal is, well, sealed up. From Dana’s piece: That process ended with a bit of tension, however. Members refined it to give the loon a red eye and to include pine trees and wild rice around the state bird. They dropped stars above the loon that were included in an original design, deciding on a single four-pointed star. The decisions stirred disagreements over the language in which the state should incorporate its motto. Some argued for adopting the phrase in Dakota, the language commonly spoken when the state was founded and from which Minnesota’s name takes its origin. After some debate, the commission opted to leave any reference to Minnesota’s motto — in any language — off the seal. But it does contain the term “Mni Sota Makoce,” a term for Minnesota with Dakota origin and meaning "Land where the waters reflect the sky." Some commission members say they fear it will trigger lawsuits or a legislative veto because it could be deemed to be favoring one community over another. Minnesota’s year of statehood, which is 1858, was also excluded after extensive debate about the necessity for it and the cultural impact of colonization that preceded statehood.

Relief at the gas pump helped bring down the broader inflation metric last month. The Labor Department’s latest inflation scorecard says overall prices rose just 0.1 percent between October and November and were up 3.1 percent from last November — a cooldown in price spikes. Scott Horsley of NPR says it has a lot to do with falling gas prices, which dropped by 6 percent last month and helped offset the rising cost of rent, medical care and car insurance. Grocery inflation is also moderating. All of it could weigh on the Federal Reserve when it announces a next move on interest rates today.

Faculty members at the University of Minnesota are at odds over war commentary posted on a department website. A professor and a former regent want the U.S. Department of Education to investigate . It’s the latest example of workplace strife stemming from Israel’s war with Hamas that has inflicted a heavy toll on Gaza. University of Minnesota Interim President Jeff Ettinger has promised listening sessions with staff, students and alumni. But the school says the complaint “contains broad characterizations” that are “inaccurate and are fundamentally contrary to our mission and values.”