Twenty-five students from the Prairie School of DuPage got a hands-on lesson in law-making recently, as they helped to pass legislation through a Senate committee.

Senate Bill 3514, filed by State Senator Seth Lewis (R-Bartlett), designates the Calvatia Gigantea as the official state mushroom.

Elementary student Charlotte DiGangi testified on the bill during the hearing and said the idea for a state mushroom came from a question she asked during a classroom discussion on state symbols.

“We were talking about all of the different state symbols, and I asked if there was a state mushroom,” said DiGangi. “I said we should have a state mushroom and now here we are.”

Elementary Teacher Erin Hemmer testified before the committee and explained that students compiled research and held a “primary” election that brought the list of mushroom choices down to two, and then the students made campaign signs for their favored choice prior to a “general” election to determine the winner.

As the bill was presented, committee members learned that 174 witness slips in favor of the bill had been properly filed by students, parents, and others in support of the idea. Legislators in the committee voted unanimously to approve the legislation.