Rukavina’s flag law takes effect

The legislative delegation of the Iron Range is known for great successes and monumental failures over the course of state history. They are also known for quirky stands on random issues. Rangers put their full pressure behind legalizing low-grade fireworks a few years ago. They made a Quixotic stand against the smoking ban last year, but failed to stop it from taking effect.

Last session, Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) finally passed his law that would require all U.S. flags sold in Minnesota to be made in the United States. Sen. David Tomassoni was the Senate sponsor. The bill passed because no one dared vote against it, which is also why I suspect Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed it as well. The law takes effect tomorrow. It will make more of a statement than it will affect our daily lives, but it will be interesting to see the fallout.

The measure has attracted some high profile criticism from the Times of London and the Wall Street Journal, both of which ran editorials calling the measure overly protectionist. Rukavina, as any student of Range politics would expect, is holding his ground.

Here’s one story from the Star Tribune.

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