PHOENIX — Pluto may not be a planet according to the guidelines uses by astronomers.
But as far as Rep. Justin Wilmeth is concerned, it should still be Arizona’s planet.
The Phoenix Republican has introduced legislation that would make what had once been considered the ninth and farthest planet in the solar system “the official state planet.’’ Now he just needs to convince a majority of colleagues in the House and Senate to go along, and, if it gets that far, get Katie Hobbs to sign it.
If that happens, it would join an ever-growing list of “official’’ state items, ranging from the cactus wren as the state bird and turquoise as the state gemstone to lemonade as the state drink and the Colt single-action Army revolver as the state firearm. And, of course, Arizona has the Bola tie as official neckwear.
Each of those measures came to the Legislature with a story. And this is no different.
Wilmeth said he recently toured an expansion project at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.
“I was very impressed with their plans and what they were doing up there,’’ he said. “And I was reminded that Pluto was discovered at Lowell Observatory.’’
And Wilmeth said it’s the only one of the planets that was discovered in the United States.
“So I think that’s worthy of historical note,’’ he said, as well as underscoring the role Arizona plays in astronomy including multiple telescopes.
“This is good press for that history the state has,’’ Wilmeth said.
Pluto’s rugged, icy mountains and flat ice plains stretch to the horizon in a photo captured in 2015 by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft. The dwarf planet discovered at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff would be added to the list of animals, plants and other objects on the official list of Arizona emblems.
Only thing is, a group of scientists known as the International Astronomical Union voted years ago to conclude that the only things that can be called “planets’’ are bodies that rotate around the sun the and “clear the neighboring region of other objects.’’ And Pluto, being so small, has not attracted and absorbed the space rocks in its orbit.
Now it is listed as a “dwarf planet.’’
Wilmeth said that demotion means nothing to him.
“I was raised from the generation we had nine planets,’’ said the 44-year-old lawmaker who was in grade school in the 1980s, long before the IAU made its proclamation. “For me, it’s a planet.’’
And even if it’s not, Wilmeth said there are still good reasons for the Legislature to give it — and its discovery — formal recognition.
“We in Arizona, in this state, discovered something in the air billions of miles away and were able to identify it,’’ he said. “I think that’s worthy of historical mention.’’
Given the mixed history of naming official state items, it’s hard to determine how much controversy the proposal will provoke.
With little debate, copper became the official state metal in 2015 following an exercise in a class at Copper Creek Elementary School in Tucson where teacher Jennifer Royer asked students to look at what is on the list and discuss what might be added.
Two years later, lawmakers added wulfenite as the official state mineral.
Other designations have proven more difficult.
A 1998 proposal to have the Dilophosaura declared the official state dinosaur ran headlong into opposition from some volunteers at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. They argued it was more appropriate for that honor to go to the Sonorasaurus, discovered on state land near Sonoita in 1994.
Both proposals died. And it took another decade before lawmakers were ready to tap the Sonorasaurus as the official dinosaur.
Other designations have been politically more controversial, like the 2011 vote to declare the Colt single action Army revolver to be the official state firearm.
Albert Hale, then a state representative from Window Rock, objected to providing official state recognition to “an instrument of destruction.’’ And Hale, a Navajo, said his people were all to often on the wrong end of that weapon.
“Does this mean we honor and celebrate the killing of my relatives?’’ he asked.
A majority of lawmakers, however, decided to proceed with the designation.
Other proposals provoked a more light-hearted debate, like a 2019 plan by a Gilbert teen to add lemonade to the items that are listed official.
Garrett Glover pointed out that Arizona is known for “the five C’s,’’ specifically cattle, copper, climate, cotton — and citrus.
But he said there was nothing official to represent citrus. And Florida already had laid claim to orange juice.
Some lawmakers, however, sought something a little more Arizona specific.
Sen. Victoria Steele, D-Tucson, sought to have the margarita designated the official state drink.
Sun tea was the choice of Sen. Lela Alston, D-Phoenix.
And Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tucson, said Jamaica tea, made from hibiscus flowers, was more representative.
“It’s all over the Mexican restaurants,’’ he said. “Anywhere you can get a burrito, you can get a Jamaica drink,’’ pronounced ha-MAI-ca.
In the end, the other ideas fell away and lemonade got added to the list on the signature of then-Gov. Doug Ducey.
