Siberian Husky gets nod as official dog of Connecticut
As members of the NCAA champion men’s basketball team mingled about the State Capitol on Wednesday, lawmakers took the first step to officially designate the husky as the state dog of Connecticut, joining the pantheon of state symbols that includes the mountain laurel, sperm whales and Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale.
The legislation, H.B. 5304, pass the House by a vote of 128-18, and now heads to the Senate. Among the concerns raised by the opponents of the bill were the time spent debating a trivial topic, as well as the un-American origins of the husky breed.
Like many of Connecticut’s state symbols, the bill began as a push by elementary school students in Fairfield several years ago to designate an official state candy. Lawmakers landed on the lollipop for that spot this year — beating out a push by proponents of the Orange-based Pez brand —and added the popular huskies for good measure.