Food fight in Albany over what state vegetable should be
ALBANY — What should be the state vegetable? It's a growing issue at the state Capitol.
There's legislation competing in the Senate over whether it should be the onion or sweet corn.
In one corner, the onion.
Sen. David Carlucci, D-Clarkstown, Rockland County, is sponsoring the bill, which says: "Onions are one of the most important vegetable crops in New York in terms of crop value." He represents parts of Orange County, which include the "black-dirt" region that has been a major harvester of the yellow onion.
In the other corner, sweet corn.
That bill was introduced Tuesday by Sen. Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette, Seneca County, and has several GOP sponsors in the Assembly.
Carlucci has no Assembly sponsor on his bill, but both have been referred to the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee.
Nozzolio's staff said the bill was first introduced in 2007 at the request of students at Port Byron High School in Cayuga County. That year, the measure passed the Senate by a vote of 46-14. But it hasn't passed the Assembly and Nozzolio reintroduces it every year.
His bill's explanation says that "sweet corn is one of the most important vegetable crops produced in New York state in terms of acreage, crop value and number of producers." But there's also the question of whether corn is a vegetable: According to the Cornell Cooperative Extension web site, corn seed is technically a vegetable, a grain and a fruit.
More useless legislation coming out of Albany. When this is decided, how many tax dollars do you think will be spent to advertise the decision?
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