In a good natured debate the House voted 139 to 5 to send a bill naming the stick-mounted sweet the official state candy to the Senate.
The bill was a product of Joan Robb’s third-grade class at Timothy Dwight School in Fairfield. The students researched the bill and lobbied lawmakers to get them to officially recognize the lollipop, first invented by a New Haven resident in 1908, as the state candy.
House Speaker Matt Ritter said he received an email from the students and appreciated their hard work.
But many lawmakers were asking themselves should the lollipop beat out PEZ for the coveted designation as the Connecticut state candy?
“I was discouraged to see the official state candy named the lollipop,” Rep. Mary Welander, D-Orange, said.
“PEZ has been a beloved fixture of candy land,” she said. “While I must concede that for legal reasons PEZ can not be considered for the state candy and I will withdraw this amendment, I will also support the history and importance of the lollipop.”
PEZ has been in Orange since 1973.
Rep. Laura Devlin, R-Fairfield, said the students also originally thought PEZ would make a great state candy until they discovered a brand could not be legally named as a state candy.
“These third graders researched. They did everything. They came up with a proposal. We went and met with them. And they continue to insist that we pursue the lollipop as the state candy,” Devlin said.
The bill also named the shelter pet as the official pet of the state and designated specific months and days for various causes.
