Democrat Legislator seeking new flag which could remove God and Mount Rushmore

It seems as if some legislators don’t have enough to do.

Bringing back an issue that few cared about the last time it was rehashed, State Senator Reynold Nesiba is noting he wants to create a commission to create a new design for South Dakota’s State Flag, because 2 or 3 people don’t care for it:

Sen. Reynold Nesiba, D-Sioux Falls, was inspired by Schultz’s suggestion and is considering introducing legislation in January. The bill is still being drafted, but would likely create a commission made up of legislators, governor-appointed members, tribal leaders and South Dakotans with expertise in history, art and tourism to help pick the new flag.

and..

“The South Dakota flag is an objective failure in every use: People aren’t using it to show how proud they are of South Dakota. Non-South Dakotans couldn’t pick it out of a group of other state flags from a distance,” Green said. “So redesign it. You have nothing to lose, but you have everything to gain.”

and..

Flags don’t have to follow the “good flag, bad flag” rules, said Scot Guenter, a professor of American studies at San Jose State University and an academic vexillologist — though he does consider them practical guidelines.

What matters is not just that the flag is “pretty” but that the flag is meaningful and connected to the group identity of the people the flag represents.

Read the entire story here.

If Nesiba wants to remove God and Mount Rushmore from the State Flag, that’s his own business. He can fly whatever flags he wants, but it doesn’t mean that the rest of us have an interest in it.

Hopefully that albatross of an idea will quickly be sent to the 41st day in the South Dakota Legislature, to be ignored for another decade before another Democrat brings it up again.

31 thoughts on “Democrat Legislator seeking new flag which could remove God and Mount Rushmore”

  1. The current state flag sucks, but since crappy marketing materials are par for the course in this state it’s quite fitting.

    1. I remember that, they wanted to give us a flag with a sun cross on it, with a design reminiscent of the flags flown by Scandinavian Nazis.
      That was epic.

  2. When you have no platform or standing , go ahead and blame God and Mt. Rushmore??? A better project for Nesiba would be to do something about the hideous Sioux Falls flag.

  3. Surprised Governor Kristi Noem does not jump on this and find a legislative sponsor to change the flag to have her photo on a new state flag. It would add to the taxpayer funded marketing campaign and the MAGAs would love it! Former President Trump her future running mate would love it!

    Thank you Senator Nesiba for bringing up the conversation!

    Trump/Noem 2024!

  4. It’s not a partisan issue. The flag is ugly and dull. Why does it need words on it anyway?

    Red, white, blue background with Mt. Rushmore silhouette would be just fine. I’d gladly fly it at my place along with my American Flag.

    Anonymous 10:43am nailed it.

  5. Another nonstarter waste of legislative time and energy. Let’s focus on real issues like property tax reform, rising crime rates, enhancing funding for vital services, etc. Yet, it appears that the Dems know they have no power or influence in Pierre so…..let’s float some nonsense bills and chew up committee time so that we don’t pay attention to what really is important to the citizenry. I guess it is reelection time so time to posture and bloviate.

  6. Can’t identify our flag in a group? It literally says “South Dakota The Mount Rushmore State” right there in the middle, bold letters, all caps. I know plenty of conservatives who like our state flag. Maybe his bill says more about the literacy rate among liberals.

    1. If your brand logo requires a full sentence, you don’t have a logo.

      If the flag was a decent design, there’d be merchandise with it.

      Go into any shop in Wall or and count how many pieces of clothing have the SD flag on them.

      I’ll wait.

  7. I think our state flag could be improved, I would be open for this. The detail of the seal is too much for the height it is flying 90% of the time. It could be a design competition, consider the Sioux Falls flag, it is functional, and a good design. The state flag is meh, on a pole it looks almost exactly like Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia. Let’s get something cool and more iconic, what state flags can you recall as distinctive designs, that’s what we should consider. Some good logical designs are CA, CO, IA, NM, SC, WY.

    1. You left TX off the list of states with good logical designs….? I’d argue Texas had the single most recognizable state flag in the country!

      1. I agree, plenty of other good flag designs I may have missed. I just think too many look the same with the state seal like we have.

  8. I think the sky blue and gold is pretty and represents what the state looks like outside of Sioux Falls, blue sky over a golden landscape.

    What does Nesiba have in mind? A blank gray dishcloth? He can fly that in his front yard and see how it is received.

  9. If the republicans suggested this, nearly everyone would jump on board. I don’t think it is a bad idea to consider a new state flag. I do love the Wyoming state flag, I would wear it on a shirt, can’t say the same for our SD flag…..

    1. Why would we want to spend a large amount of money replacing the state flag in schools, legion halls, court houses, etc.

      1. Why would we want to spend a large amount of money on anything then? Prisons? Bridges? School teachers?

        Improvement is the reason, and if we have an iconic flag, generate some revenue from the sale to help replace those flags if we are that concerned that the state budget, which is operating out of a surplus, can’t afford to replace them. Furthermore, most of those flags you reference are about $10 a piece. Exterior flags have to be replaced about every 30 days (depending where in the state they fly) due to wind damage. I wouldn’t let replacement costs factor into my decision for this.

  10. If South Dakota has issues, changing the flag won’t help.

    It’s cheap shot legislation in my view.

    I love Art, and Mt. Rushmore is some of the most amazing art ever created.

    Lastly, why bother hating on God?

  11. How about Governor Noem riding Ice Man at full gallop toward Mt. Rushmore with the setting sun’s rays surrounding our new emblem. The image says it all. If you have to have words –put on the reverse Pass Me That Hamms.

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