One objective of this blog – and of the television program, Capitol Outlook – is to find those important bills that might sneak by under the radar, never noticed by the mainstream media. Sometimes, a bill that appears as innocent as, say, a butterfly, might flutter by unnoticed if we didn’t let the public know.

Take S.F. 16. While other journalists slept through the hearings, or missed the scintillating floor debate, Wyoming PBS has closely followed the controversial effort to elevate the Sheridan’s green hairstreak butterfly to the level of, well, the triceratops (our state dinosaur) and Western wheatgrass (our state grass). We’ve asked the hard questions: was this butterfly REALLY born in Wyoming? Are these kids who’ve lobbied for it REALLY students at Big Horn School, or just cleverly disguised midgets hired by the insect lobby? And, does the hairstreak make messes on garden furniture?

The bill has made it through the Senate and out of House committee. But on the House floor, opposition stiffened.

Rep. Tim Stubson (R-Casper) declared himself “shocked” by the power grab of the Big Horn School kids. He noted that this butterfly was found in only 11 of the state’s counties, and suggested the bill go to interim study while entymologists search for a more statewide bug that could be seen by “every child who walks out of his door.”

Rep. Jeb Steward (R-Encampment) worried that the designation could lead to some sort of protections, and then, “What would happen if I found one on the front grill of my pickup truck?”

And Rep. George Bagby (D-Rawlins) caused some deep thinking before votes were cast when he pointed out that if the bill passed, the wife of the principle Senate sponsor, Sen. Bruce Burns (R-Sheridan) could insist on being addressed as “Madame Butterfly.”

Nevertheless, in a very close unanimous vote, the bill today passed first reading in the House.