Sandhill plum one step closer to Kansas state fruit after students’ bill passes House

TOPEKA — Rep. Randy Garber said Monday he had no idea there was such a thing as the Sandhill plum before receiving a phone call from a Sabetha elementary school teacher.

Now, the Sabetha Republican said, he has learned a lot about the fruit, also known as a Chickasaw plum.

“I learned that you can make jellies and pies and even wine from the Sandhill plum,” Garber said as he launched a debate on House Bill 2644, which would designate the Sandhill plum as the official state fruit.

The bill, which the House passed 115-7, is the product of a multi-school effort to learn about the political process and pick a proposed state fruit. Students from Sabetha, Valley Falls and Healy elementary schools provided testimony in a committee hearing earlier this session. According to the students, 30 other states have designated a state fruit.

The Sandhill plum is native to Kansas and, the students said, is versatile and resilient. It beat out the red mulberry, a disappointment to Rep. Ken Collins, a Republican from Mulberry.

Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, said he opposed the legislation despite his fondness for jam and his appreciation of the students’ efforts.

“When I was a kid, we had to memorize the state flower, the state animal, the state bird, and we had to be able to spell them all,” Carmichael said. “A few years ago, we had the state fossil, I think it was, and it was something I couldn’t pronounce, and something I couldn’t spell. So I have concluded that as much as I want to commend everyone involved in advocating for this legislation, I’m probably not going to be voting for bills that increase the number of things kids in elementary school have to be able to know and spell.”

Rep. John Barker, an Abilene Republican, offered to assist Carmichael.

“P-l-u-m,” Barker said. “If you have any trouble with the ‘Sandhill,’ you can come over and I’ll have you write it a hundred times.”