Committee adopts amendment and passes bill to name alligator gar Arkansas' state fish after student testimony

A Senate Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development committee on an unspecified date considered House Bill 1640, adopted a drafting amendment and approved the measure by voice vote after hearing testimony from a Fayetteville middle-school student.

Senator Johnson, who ran the bill in committee, described the amendment: "This amendment just, just adds or changes game fish to primitive fish. That's throughout the throughout the bill. That's that's all the amendment does." The committee adopted the amendment by voice vote and the chair declared it part of the bill.

Henry Foster, a student at McNair Middle School in Fayetteville, told the committee he had campaigned to make the alligator gar the official state fish because it is native to Arkansas and has deep historical ties. "I worked on a campaign to make the alligator gar the state fish of Arkansas," Foster said. He said Arkansas is "one of five states in the nation that does not have a state fish," and argued the alligator gar would give Arkansas a distinctive state symbol.

Senator Malek questioned Foster about how to answer constituents who dislike the species. "My granddaughter is not real fond of the alligator gar because when she runs a trot line...they're hard to get off and she doesn't like those sharp teeth," Malek said. Foster replied that people use gloves and reiterated his reasons for wanting a unique, native state fish.

After brief additional comments and confirmation that the amendment had been adopted, the chair moved to pass House Bill 1640. The motion was seconded, the committee approved the bill by voice vote and the chair declared the motion carried. The transcript records vocal "aye" responses and the chair's announcement of passage; it does not include a roll-call tally.

The committee adjourned after the vote.