Lawmakers have put the soybean on track to become Illinois’s official state bean.
Legislation honoring the soybean passed out of the Illinois House during the final days of the lame duck session in January after getting state Senate’s approval in the spring of 2024.
Illinois is the top producer of soybeans in the U.S., with about a quarter of its land used for growing the crop. It’s used in foods like tofu and food ingredients like cooking oil as well as for animal feed and industrial products like biodiesel fuel.
Massachusetts also has an official state bean: the baked navy bean. But if signed into law, Illinois will be the only state to include the soybean among its official state symbols.
The Illinois Soybean Association said the official state bean designation will help people understand how important soybeans are to Illinois’ economy.
“We hope this resolution inspires future generations to appreciate and support Illinois agriculture as it continues to be essential to our state’s identity and economy,” said board chairman, Ron Kindred, in a statement issued by the association.
The bill now goes to Governor JB Pritzker, who most recently signed legislation creating a new state symbol in 2024. In that case, the giant puffball was honored as the official state mushroom.
Illinois has more than 30 state symbols, from the big bluestem, which is the official state prairie grass, to the official state animal, the white-tailed deer.