Fourth Graders Lobby For California To Adopt State Nut

MERCED (AP) -- A California fourth grade class is pushing to make almonds, pistachios, walnuts and pecans the official state nuts.

Merced Assemblyman Adam Gray supported the elementary students' idea and drafted a bill.

The Fresno Bee reported Thursday that Gray's bill is headed to the Senate this summer after passing through the Assembly.

The students travelled to Sacramento last month to a bill hearing. They brought the Modesto Nuts minor league baseball team mascots: Al the almond, Wally the walnut and Shelly the pistachio.

At first the students were only lobbying for the almond, a crop valued at $4 billion that creates more than 100,000 jobs. Legislators who heard Gary's bill wanted the major nut crop of their districts to get an official designation too.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.