Alabama Legislature picks official crustacean

In a blow to the prawn and krill lobbies, the Alabama House voted Thursday to make brown shrimp the state's official crustacean.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, netted 101 votes in the lower chamber. House Minority Leader Craig Ford, D-Gadsden, peeled away from colleagues and cast the only no vote. The legislation, which passed the Senate earlier in the session, now goes to Gov. Robert Bentley.

The Seafood Association of Alabama says brown shrimp live in salt marshes and bottoms and account for more than half of the domestic catch in the state.

According to the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Alabama has more than 40 official state symbols and emblems, including a folk dance (Square Dance), an outdoor musical drama (The Incident at Looney's Tavern, staged in Winston County), a spirit (Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey) and a Renaissance Fair (the Florence Renaissance Faire).

The legislation was first on a 10-minute calendar adopted by the House of Representatives; any bill not adopted after ten minutes of debate must be carried over or wait to be placed on a future calendar. Following passage of the shrimp legislation, Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, threatened to kill every other bill on the calendar. Rogers was critical of legislation altering the composition of the Birmingham Water Works Board, long a divisive issue among Jefferson County legislators.

The House adjourned after Rogers made his threat.