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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is a daily, five-minute newscast that shines a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
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HOST: This is North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live. Today in Minnesota…
ANCHOR: …The case against a Wisconsin judge accused of helping an immigrant avoid arrest is moving forward. Then, why some communities are still using the old state flag. And, how the state became the home to one of the oldest LGBTQ2S+ libraries
I'm Chantel SinGs.
A federal judge has ruled that the case against a Wisconsin circuit judge accused of helping a man evade immigration arrest can move forward. Northern News Now TV in Duluth reports that Judge Hannah Dugan faces misdemeanor and felony charges after prosecutors said she escorted a man and his lawyer out of her courtroom through a back door while immigration agents waited outside. Her attorneys argued she was immune because she acted in her official role, but the court rejected that claim. The ruling clears the way for the Trump administration's prosecution, part of its broader crackdown on local authorities who resist federal immigration enforcement.
In today's main story, Minnesota released a new state flag more than a year ago, creating a fair amount of controversy. Today, some cities and counties around the state are still flying the old flag. Lydia Moran has more on the story.
Jim Lassi: The old flag was very pertinent to Minnesota, portrayed our history and so on, and this new flag portrays nothing.
Lydia Moran: Jim Lassie sits on the city council in Babbitt, Minnesota. In February, the council voted against flying the new Minnesota state flag, which became official more than a year ago. Babbitt is a town of about 1300 nestled on the Mesabi Iron Range in northern Minnesota. It joined a handful of communities around the state that have passed resolutions against flying the new state flag at government-owned buildings. These include cities such as Detroit Lakes and Cross Lake; and counties, including Nobles, Mower, Crow Wing and Becker. The reasons behind their decisions vary. Some say they didn't feel represented during the flag redesign process.
Anita Gaul: This is the result of a decade-long fight and movement to change these emblems because they were so divisive, because they were offensive to a portion of Minnesotans.
Lydia Moran: Dr. Anita Gaul was vice chair of the state emblems redesign commission. She was one of three members from Greater Minnesota.
Anita Gaul: For me, as a historian, I wanted to make sure that this is a flag that unified Minnesotans, didn't divide us, and better reflected who we are and our aspirations.
Lydia Moran: For many Native communities across Minnesota, the previous flag was a harmful relic of colonial violence. It shows a white farmer tilling the land as a Native man rides off into the sunset.
Anita Gaul: We knew we wanted a lot of public input. This is not the product of 17 commission members. We wanted all of Minnesota to be part of this process.
Lydia Moran: The Commission sifted through nearly 2600 public submissions for the new seal and flag design. Three rounds of public comment followed. Lassi says it wasn't enough.
Jim Lassi: And I thought why comment? They're going to do whatever they want to do anyhow.
Lydia Moran: He wishes the redesign was put up for a statewide vote. But Minnesota does not have a process for statewide referendums on policy decisions. To be clear, there are no legal repercussions for flying the old state flag at county- or city-owned buildings. Courthouses are the only locations where up-to-date state flags must be displayed. At the State Fair this year, the GOP made it clear that they see the flag redesign as a partisan issue. The Republican Party of Minnesota booth passed out copies of the old flag to passers-by.
Donna Bergstrom: I myself am Native American. I love seeing myself on that flag. I have just seen across the nation over and over, Natives are just getting erased right, left and center.
Lydia Moran: That's Republican Party of Minnesota Deputy Chair Donna Bergstrom.
But Anita Gaul with the redesign commission says change does not equal erasure.
Anita Gaul: Our old flag is not erased. It is simply our previous flag.
Lydia Moran: For North Star Stories, I'm Lydia Moran.
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
Minneapolis is home to one of the oldest LGBTQ2S+ lending libraries in the country. The Quatrefoil Library, founded in 1986, began with a private collection of gay and lesbian fiction shared among friends. Today, it offers thousands of circulating books, DVDs, and CDs, as well as archives, comics, and periodicals available on site at its East Lake Street location. Quatrefoil is the third-oldest library of its kind in the U.S., continuing its mission as both a lending library and a community center dedicated to preserving and sharing queer history and culture.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.