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>> ERIC: BY JANUARY 1ST THE STATE WILL HAVE A NEW FLAG AND SEAL.

THE RELEASE OF THE ENTRIES CREATED AN ON-LINE FRENZY FOR FOLKS TO SELECT THEIR FAVORITES.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER HAS AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE PROCESS WITH THE PERSON LEADING THE CHARGE.

>> Mary: THE CURRENT MINNESOTA STATE FLAG AND SEAL ARE SEEN AS OUTDATED, AT BEST, AND CULTURALLY INAPPROPRIATE.

SO STATE LAW SAYS BOTH MUST BE REDESIGNED.

TELL ME ABOUT HOW OVERWHELMING THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST IN THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN.

>> IT'S BEEN GREAT.

WE'VE BEEN GETTING NATIONAL NEWS AND OBVIOUSLY LOCAL NEWS AND NOT JUST IN THE TWIN CITIES BUT ALL OVER THE STATE.

>> Mary: THE REDESIGN WEBSITE HAS HAD 300,000 PAGE VIEWS AND 3,000 COMMENTS FOR THE MORE THAN 2,000 FLAG DESIGNS SUBMITTED BY THE PUBLIC.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A WINNER IN THERE?

>> DOES IT FEEL MINNESOTA?

DOES IT HAVE THE DNA OF WHAT MINNESOTA COULD BE?

DOES IT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER?

ALL THESE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.

IS IT SIMPLE?

CAN I JUDGE IT FROM FAR AWAY, VERY SMALL?

HOW DOES IT LOOK WHEN IT'S FLAT?

HOW DOES IT LOOK WHEN IT'S FLYING, HOW DOES IT LOOK WHEN IT'S RELAXED, VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL, YOU NAME IT.

>> Mary: THE CHAIR IS DOWN TO HIS TOP 20.

COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE TO SUBMIT 25 OF THEIR FAVORITES NEXT WEEK AND CLEAR THEMES ARE EMERGING.

>> THERE'S A LOT OF GREEN, A LOT OF BLUE.

THAT'S OBVIOUSLY MINNESOTA.

IT REPRESENTS THE GREENERY AND THE PINES AND THE NORTHERN WOODS AND OBVIOUSLY THE LAKES.

>> Mary: A SLEUTH STAFFER AT TPT HAS AN UNOFFICIAL TALLY SHOWING STARS ARE THE MOST PROMINENT FOR OUR NORTH STAR STATE.

IN THAT 20 WERE ANY OF THE THEMES, YOU KNOW, LOONS, STARS, LAKES, TREES, ANY OF THOSE MAKE IT N YOUR LIST?

>> YES.

ALL OF THEM IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

SOMETIMES NOT DIRECT WAYS.

LIKE THE LOON MADE IT IN THE SEAL, BUT NOT IN THE FLAG.

I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS APPROPRIATE.

>> Mary: BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE THE SAME.

THAT WAS FASCINATING FOR US TO LEARN TODAY THAT THOSE CAN AND A LOT OF STATES DO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT TRACK FOR THE FLAG AND THE SEAL.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

I THINK WE CAME TO AN AGREEMENT THAT IT COULD BE THE SAME AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO.

>> Mary: THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ARE STILL WORKING ON THEIR FINAL LIST.

>> I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY BECAUSE SOME OF YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT, WE MUST HAVE A LOON, OR WE MUST HAVE A NORTH STAR.

I'M INTERESTED IN THAT.

>> I JUST FEEL LIKE INNESOTA IS REALLY INVESTED IN THIS PROCESS AND WE CAN SEE THAT FROM THE COMMENTS AS WELL, NOT EVERYBODY LOVES TO HAVE THIS NEW FLAG COMING SOON, BUT I THINK THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT IT AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR REACTIONS OR THEIR THOUGHTS, THE CLEARER I GOT.

>> Mary: I KNOW YOU HAVE NATIVE MEMBERS ON THE BOARD.

>> YES.

>> Mary: AND THE OLD FLAG AND SYMBOL -- >> 100%.

>> Mary: WAS SEEN AS VERY PROBLEMATIC TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE FIRST.

>> YES.

>> Mary: BUT YOU BRING MULTICULTURALISM, THE BOARD DOES.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT ASPECT?

>> I THINK, TO ME, IT'S THE NUMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEE IT, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT JUST REPRESENTING ONE CULTURE.

>> Mary: CHAIR FITCH'S CULTURE STARTS IN MEXICO.

>> NOT IN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VOTERS IN THE WHOLE WORLD, TIJUANA, SAN DIEGO OWE, I EXPERIENCED A LOT OF MULTICULTURALISM.

>> Mary: HE WENT ON TO BECOME AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL ARTIST, DESIGNING A STAFF FOR THE U.S.

POSTAL SERVICE AND FOR TARGET FOR A QUARTER OF A CENTURY.

STAMP.

GOOD CHUNK OF YOUR LIFE NOW?

>> ACTUALLY IT'S THE MOST I'VE LIVED IN ANY PLACE.

SO YES, I'M A MINNESOTAN.

>> Mary: AND THIS MINNESOTAN IS TAKING HIS RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY TO SELECT A NEW FLAG IN ALL ITS DETAIL.

>> THIS WAS CARE BOX, IF YOU WANT TO, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE.

IT COMES WITH A LITTLE BOOK COMPILED BY TED KAY ABOUT HOW TO DESIGN GOOD FLAGS.

AND HE MAKES T VERY VISUAL, LIKE, ES, NO, YES, NO.

FIRST THING IS KEEP IT SIMPLE, RIGHT?

THEN THE MATCHING COLORS, VERY SPECIFICALLY FOR FLAGS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TOUCH THE MATERIALS AND UNDERSTAND COLORS.

THE OTHER THING, TOO, IT'S MATERIAL, RIGHT?

THERE'S DIFFERENT MATERIALS, YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS MORE SHINY.

AND A LOT OF THESE ARE EASY TO PRINT.

ANOTHER THING THE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS USE IS CALLED PANTELL, THERE WE MATCH THAT BLUE TO A COLOR NUMBER, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE.

AND THIS IS FOR PRINTING.

>> Mary: WHAT I FOUND FASCINATING IS HOW MANY OTHER STATES NOW SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO DO THIS.

HAVE YOU HEARD THAT AND SEEN THAT, THAT THIS IS REALLY CREATING A NATIONAL WAVE AND CONVERSATION?

>> I THINK MORE AND MORE WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING THAT.

YOU SAW WITH THE SCULPTURES, WE SAW WITH THE NAMES OF PARKS BEING CHANGED AND SO ON AND SO ON.

AND, SO, FLAGS AND SEALS, WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING A LOT.

>> Mary: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BEING PART OF THIS REALLY ESSENTIAL MOMENT IN HISTORY IN TIME?

YOU'RE MAKING HISTORY HERE.

>> IT'S BEEN SUCH A FAST RIDE THAT I HAVEN'T FELT IT YET.

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