wacky wednesday - truth or fiction?

State legislatures have a lot on their plates right now. Education issues. Health care. State budgets. School vaccination requirements. Prison reform. Illegal immigration. So I was deeply puzzled about Oklahoma's state legislature spending valuable time deciding whether or not they should repeal a law they passed in 2007 declaring the watermelon their state vegetable.

That's right. Oklahoma legislators passed a bill, and the governor signed it, designating the watermelon their state VEGETABLE and now some lawmakers think they should repeal that law because, well, a watermelon is a fruit. I couldn't help but wonder if they just now realized that. Or was there more to the story?

Rush Springs, OK is home to the state's annual watermelon festival and the self-proclaimed watermelon capital of the world. The people of Rush Springs felt the watermelon should be honored with official status. One of their legislators agreed but the strawberry had already been named Oklahoma's official state fruit in 2005. He found a "scientist" who was willing to say that, while technically a fruit, the watermelon is also a vegetable since it is an edible plant. Using that logic, wheat and rice are also vegetables. This flawed logic allowed the legislator to introduce a bill, which passed and became law, naming the watermelon the official state vegetable of Oklahoma.

I agree with the legislator trying to repeal the law. Questionable or out-dated laws make a mockery of our legislative process. They could make the watermelon the official state melon thereby eliminating the "confusion" and making everyone happy.

Unfortunately, the hours and days spent debating frivolous topics in state legislatures is not rare. For example, in 2014, New York legislators passed a bill naming yogurt the state's official snack after hours and hours of debate addressing such important questions as "Should the official status be limited to low-sugar, low-fat yogurt?" and "Since many people can't consume dairy products should they designate a lactose and non-lactose state snack?" And in 2011,  Arizona's legislature passed a bill designating the Colt Single Action Army Revolver, a gun popular in the 1800's as the Wild West was being settled, the  official state gun after spending days debating the pros (it preserves a piece of Arizona's history) and cons (it was a gun that killed many Native Americans in the Wild West) of such an action. And the list goes on and on.

Some legal commentators have suggested that frivolous topics for legislative debate are necessary - that they add a little humor to the workplace and help "destress" the body of legislators before they go on to more hot button topics.

I say if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

In the meantime, roll up your sleeves and tackle the important issues. If there is time left in the session after ALL the essential concerns are taken care of, then go ahead and debate which silverware pattern should be the official state one (Kentucky chose Old Kentucky Blue Grass - The Georgetown Pattern in 1996) or whether "silly haircuts" should be allowed on children (several states have laws prohibiting "silly haircuts").