Get your microwaves ready, folks:
Popcorn Named State Snack of Illinois
That's not just a snack you're getting. It's the "official state snackfood" of Illinois, thanks to legislation signed Monday by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Lawmakers who backed popcorn for the honor turned their backs on Beer Nuts, Lemonhead candy and other goodies produced in Illinois. But the rivals seemed to take the loss in stride.
"There is nothing we would like more than to be the state snack, but we've got a lot of competition," said Cindy Shirk, marketing director for Beer Nuts Inc. She said the snack, though produced in Bloomington, might be at a disadvantage because it is made from Georgia peanuts.
Popcorn now joins the cardinal (state bird), square dance (state dance) and drummer silty clay loam (state soil) as an official symbol of Illinois.
Ah, good to see our state government hard at work...