To the one, it's obvious. To the other ... I mean, come on. Really? There it was, amid the long list of crucial bills that state legislators in Wisconsin were racing to vote on before their session ends next week: A bill to select the state's official microbe. Yes, microbe. Peculiar, perhaps, until one considers what appeared to be the extremely short list of contenders (one) for this state honor — none other than Lactococcus lactis, the bacterium used to make cheddar, Colby and Monterey Jack cheese, and an unsung hero in this, the nation's No. 1 cheese-producing state. "The first time I heard the idea, I thought, I've got more important things to do than spending my time honoring a microbe," said Gary Hebl, a Democratic state representative who proposed the bill which, he says, would make Wisconsin the first state in the nation to grant such a designation. "But this microbe is really a very hard worker." (Davey) There is, of course, always a bit of humor in these sorts of things. Other states have plenty of official somethings; Davey points to the Texas state vehicle, the official toy of Pennsylvania, and did you know New Mexico has an official state question? And, indeed, Rep. Hebl notes that there was only one detractor in the legislative committee. "Clearly lactose intolerant," Hebl explained. And it all sounds great, I'm sure. But the Wisconsin legislature is also considering whether it is finally time to crown cheese the state's official snack. Really, does anyone need a legislature to tell them that? So, yeah. Congratulations are in order, I suppose, to L. lactis. Let us hope it fulfills its office with the grace and dignity befitting a state full of cheeseheads. ____________________ Notes: Davey, Monica. "And Now, a State Microbe". The New York Times. April 17, 2010; page A15. NYTimes.com. April 20, 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/16/us/16microbe.html
