There’s an issue that's getting some fresh buzz at the Capitol: Should Iowa adopt a state insect?

A Senate subcommittee advanced a measure to give the honeybee that designation Wednesday. The proposal is headed to the full Senate State Government Committee on Thursday.

The bill is the latest effort to add Iowa to the list of 48 states with an official insect. Iowa and Michigan are the sole remaining states that haven't yet named one.

“I’d like to make Michigan last,” said Sen. Roby Smith, R-Davenport, who chairs the Senate State Government Committee.

Iowa lawmakers have proposed adding a state insect multiple times in the past, with other bids giving the ladybug and different varieties of butterflies the designation. Honeybees are a popular selection among many other states: Sixteen currently list them as their sole state insect, or as one of their multiple state insects.

The bill's floor manager, Sen. Chris Cournoyer, R-LeClaire, said the designation would be a recognition of the role honeybees play in the state's agriculture economy. She said the idea gained traction following Iowa Honey Bee Day at the Capitol last week.

Jim Obradovich, a lobbyist with the Iowa Honey Producers Association, said the group supports the legislation and would welcome the recognition of honeybees, which play a role in the agriculture landscape in all 99 counties.

The text of the proposed Senate Joint Resolution notes that approximately 4,500 Iowa beekeepers manage around 45,000 colonies of honeybees. Those colonies produce over 4 million pounds of honey per year.

If the bill is approved, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs would display the information in the state historical museum. The honeybee would also be included in the state's official register alongside pictures of the state rock (geode), state flower (wild rose), state bird (eastern goldfinch) and state tree (oak).

Ian Richardson covers the Iowa Statehouse for the Register. Reach him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.

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