Good morning. A legion of armchair vexillographers might be looking for new hobbies today.
The new flag is here and many have strong opinions about it. Let’s be clear, there were going to be strong feelings no matter what. This is the lowdown: It’s a flag with three colors — two shades of blue and a white star. There is a dark blue K-shaped block on the left meant to resemble Minnesota. And a light blue element meant to signify water, maybe even the Mississippi River. The interpretation is yours to make. MPR’s Dana Ferguson has our write-up . It goes up in May unless the Legislature has second thoughts about replacing the old flag and votes to stop it.
Whether you followed this process closely, didn’t follow it at all or say you didn’t follow it but snuck looks all along the way, there is no denying the broad interest in the flag redesign. At MPR News, the off-the-charts metrics show just how engaged people were. Now that a new flag is done, the feedback is, well… mixed. MPR digital producer extraordinaire Samantha Stroozas compiled some for you. Meanwhile, an expert in flag design, known as a vexillologist, grades the new banner highly.
Significant 2024 news out of Colorado last night. The state’s Supreme Court, in a divided ruling, declared former President Donald Trump ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause. The court barred him from the ballot. It’s certain to be appealed and most likely accelerated to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Colorado court is made up entirely of justices appointed by Democrats. Their decision, according to AP, is the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate. Trump’s campaign says the decision is flawed for “eliminating the rights of Colorado voters to vote for the candidate of their choice.” (In November, Minnesota’s Supreme Court denied a similar request to bar Trump at the primary stage.)
Rideshare recommendations from a state task force will leave important topics in flux when delivered to the Legislature. MPR’s Jon Collins reports that a committee has finalized a handful of draft recommendations , but it couldn’t find much agreement in important areas like compensation. The committee was formed after Gov. Tim Walz vetoed legislation that would have boosted pay and protections for rideshare drivers. The committee of state lawmakers, officials and representatives of both rideshare companies and drivers generally agreed that tips are the property of the driver and should not be counted against any future minimum compensation. They also agreed that the minimum compensation would be adjusted annually. But broader compensation matters remain unresolved.
Minnesota has until 2030 to get its numbers up or it’ll lose a congressional seat. Yes, there is a long time to go. And yes, our eighth U.S. House seat has been under threat for the entire century. New U.S. population estimates suggest that while the state’s headcount grew in 2023 after shrinking the year before, that uptick is not keeping pace with growth rates in other places. The next full census is in 2030 . But at this current rate, Minnesota would drop to a seven-member House delegation.
A new federal database will track records around law enforcement misconduct by federal officers. The U.S. Justice Department announced it this week; it’s linked to President Joe Biden’s May 2022 executive order around policing. The AP reports it’s aimed at preventing agencies from unknowingly hiring problem officers. But the database won’t be open to the public. And because it will only contain records for federal officers, some pushing for more accountability in law enforcement say it falls short of their expectations.
The Minnesota Board of Pardons has denied early release to a man who killed three in Duluth in 1994. In a unanimous decision, the Board of Pardons denied Todd Michael Warren’s request. Warren is serving a 50-year sentence for the triple murder of three men he maintains were making unwanted sexual advances toward women. MPR’s Peter Cox says Warren testified from a state prison and said he “was wrong to take the lives of these young men on that awful night in 1994. I’ve never been more wrong about anything. There’s no excuse. Chief Justice Natalie Hudson applauded what Warren has done in prison to rehabilitate his life over the past three decades. “I believe that your remorse is genuine. But the family’s concerns here and their well-being weigh very heavy for me. These were brutal, heinous murders,” she said. | 
