Fourth Grade Lawmakers

The fourth graders at St. Ignatius Catholic School are an ambitious bunch. Not only are they learning about Alabama government in their history book, but they may also rewrite it.

They realized that there wasn’t an animal listed as the state mammal, and decided to go with the manatee. One student says, "Since they are endangered we want to help them stay on the Planet."
With the help of Representative Jim Barton, the bill started making its way through the House in March.
There hasn't been any opposition, but there have been a few questions.
Barton says, "We had a couple members from North Alabama that said we'll never see a manatee in Muscle Shoals, but they were fine. They understand that this is a 4th grade project.

Rep. Jim Barton is glad he chose this group. “I have a 4th grader and thought it would be an interesting project if they got involved and took the initiative to try and come up with a state symbol. You know the legislative process is something that takes place 200 miles away, and most people don't have any idea what it is."

The Manatee Bill made it through the Senate Committee Wednesday. It is now waiting for a vote in the senate. There are only seven legislative days left in this session, so lawmakers will have to act quickly.