Silly Concerns of the States

The framers of our Constitution envisioned a central government with enumerated powers that limited that government's general authority over most of the basic concerns of the average person. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments make clear that powers not specifically granted to the new central government belong to the states. These are a vast number of responsibilities that are the province of each state: police powers, regulation of medical and dental professionals, admission and regulation of attorneys, and the list goes on and on.

In addition, unlike the Federal government, most states are required to operate under balanced budgets. As the Feds continue to impose unfunded responsibilities on states and localities, pressure on local representatives increases and the money available diminishes. So, one would expect that the states would be loathe to waste time on issues that are, honestly, quite silly!

Let's take a look at the Official State ------, each adopted by solemn act of the state legislature and approved by the governors

State beverages are as good a place to start as any other. Eighteen states have designated milk as official state drink. Nebraska adds "Kool-Aid" which seems a bit weird and Wisconsin adds Beer which I feel is meritorious. Alabama's official beverage is Conecuh Ridge Whiskey which is a "recreated" version of an illegal moonshine product, whose producers have been imprisoned. Florida, of course, chose Orange Juice, Maine's official drink is the, for me, undrinkable Moxie, and Indiana, as of this year, plays it safe with Water!

Six states have gone to the trouble of designation official state Dinosaurs, 39 have official state fossils (Florida doesn't have an official fossil, but we do have an official state stone. Rather than attempt to paraphrase, here's what § 15.0336, Florida Statutes, provides: Agatized coral, a chalcedony pseudomorph after coral, appearing as limestone geodes lined with botryoidal agate or quartz crystals and drusy quartz fingers, indigenous to Florida, is hereby designated the Florida state stone. Just wait to pass this information on at a cocktail party.)

And then there's Mississippi which, in 2003, took the time to designate the Teddy Bear as Official State Toy, Louisiana which, in 1990, adopted the accordion (Let's have a chorus of "Lady of Spain".)

The list goes on and on. There are official grasses (16 states), state mammals and, in a bunch of states, an additional designation of state dog, butterflies, insects, trees, even poems and state songs. I wrote an earlier article about state songs, some of which are an embarrassment today.

Meanwhile, state legislators, as in Florida, are faced with substantial issues to be addressed, deficiencies to be corrected, schools to be made better, bridges that don't fall down. On the other hand, it's so much more fun to debate an official state nut (pecan, Alabama), an official sport (jousting, Maryland), an official state cookie (chocolate chip, Massachusetts) or an official Florida Tartan.

Next time you meet a state senator or representative, give him or her due respect, calling out, "Hail to thee, Good Person. Stay focused on the public weal!"