Bill seeks to make popcorn Indiana's official state snack

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A state lawmaker wants his colleagues to honor Indiana's big popcorn crop by making the grain the state's official snack.

Legislation sponsored by Republican state Sen. Ron Grooms of Jeffersonville would designate Indiana-grown popcorn as the Hoosier state's official snack, adding it to other state symbols such as the state bird - the cardinal - and the state insect, the firefly, The Journal Gazette reported.

Grooms' bill says Indiana ranks second in the nation '“ behind Nebraska '“ in popcorn production, with Hoosier farmers growing nearly 500 million pounds (227 kilograms) of popcorn every year, bringing jobs to the state.

'œWhereas Purdue University plant breeders helped pioneer popcorn breeding in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and those varieties were used by Orville Redenbacher and others in the industry today,'ť his measure reads.

But Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said lawmakers have much more significant and important things to do during their legislative session, such as passing a budget and redistricting.

'œI've got a lot of other things to focus on,'ť he said.