Brewer: HOAs Can't Ban Tea Party's Gadsden Flag

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a new law to prevent homeowners associations from banning the favored tea party flag, which displays a coiled rattlesnake and the message “Don’t Tread on Me.”

The new law gives the black and yellow flag the same protection as the American flag, flags representing any branch of the military, the state flag, POW-MIA flags and those of any Arizona Indian nation, FoxNews.com reported Wednesday.

The law does allow associations to prohibit the flying of more than two flags at once, and they can restrict the height of the flag pole.

The flag is named after American statesman Christopher Gadsden who designed it in 1775, FoxNews.com reported. It was originally used by the U.S. Marine Corps during the American Revolution and was meant to represent the 13 original colonies and their battle for independence from the British monarchy.

Since then, it has been reintroduced by numerous groups as a symbol of American patriotism. The tea party movement is the latest group to adopt the flag for its message against big government.