The Minnesota Legislature also knows how to disappoint children.

A few days ago I posted about how Wisconsin ended up with a state dog.  Perhaps unhappy that Wisconsin received some attention for disappointing children,  Minnesota's legislature has decided to get in on the action.  According to Vicki Froslee's opinion piece in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a group of first-graders from Andover, Minnesota was rebuffed in their efforts to name the black bear Minnesota's "state mammal."  Among other indignities, the kids were promised a hearing before one of the committees in the Minnesota House of Representatives but the hearing never took place.  According to Ms. Froslee the hearing was "held up by House leaders."   

Ms. Froslee acknowledges that a bill naming a state mammal is "fluff" and that such bills might be a tough sell in an election year.  However, she notes that a similar piece of fluff--a bill naming Lester soil as the official state soil--was passed as part of a larger agriculture bill and is expected to be signed by Minnesota's governor.

One explanation for Lester soil's success is that the bill got rolled into a bill that had the support of legislators.  Perhaps another explanation is Minnesota is just trying to keep up with Wisconsin in the state symbols department. Wisconsin does not have a state mammal (although it does have a state animal and a state domesticated animal).  However since 1983 Wisconsin's official state soil has been Antigo Silt Loam.  If you click on this link, you can hear the Antigo Silt Loam song.  If you don't have speakers, the lyrics and melody are here.