State Emblems Redesign Commission meeting Tuesday to review Minnesota flag, seal finalists

MINNEAPOLIS — Tuesday morning, the final designs for the Minnesota flag and seal will be under scrutiny.

The State Emblems Redesign Commission meets virtually at 9 a.m. A few members of the public will get to share their opinions about the options. SERC could also make alterations to the finalists at Tuesday's meeting.

There are six finalists for the flag and five designs for the state seal. The 13-member SERC chose the finalists from more than 2,600 submissions.

READ MORE: What you need to know about the new Minnesota state flag

The commission said its final decision will be made by New Year's Day. The chosen designs will make their debut on May 11, which is Statehood Day, and the current designs will retire.

Thousands of people have already weighed in with comments on the flag options online. Many of them are critical that a loon is not featured in any of the flag finalists. SERC said on Tuesday morning that they had received 15,000 public comments submitted about the flag, and an additional 6,000 for the seal.

A ranked choice poll showed flag design F29, also known as the "L'étoile du Nord flag," was the popular choice among Minnesotans. Brandon Hundt, the designer, said it pays tribute to Minnesota's weather, geographical position and lakes.

The current flag has been criticized for its imagery of a white settler plowing the land as a Native American on horseback rides off into the distance. Others say it violates the tenets of "good flag design," which values simplicity with meaningful symbols. The current flag dates back to 1957, while the current seal has been in use since 1861.