APPLETON (NBC 26) — At a news conference in Appleton Monday, elected officials and community members announced the third push to make the Monarch our state's official butterfly.
See Monarchs flying around the Butterfly Garden of Wisconsin in the video below:
The bill was introduced by Republican Rep. Paul Tittl of Manitowoc and Republican Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara of Appleton. At the Butterfly Garden of Wisconsin in Appleton Monday morning, speakers highlighted the crucial role pollinators play in producing many of the foods we eat.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Monarch populations in North America have declined over the past two decades. Supporters of the bill say naming the Monarch as Wisconsin's state butterfly would help raise awareness about the species and the importance of protecting all pollinators.
"We have a state cocktail, we have state flowers, we can have a state butterfly and I think the monarch is majestic and it is deserving of the [title of] state butterfly," Rep. Tittl said to the crowd Monday.
Neighboring states like Minnesota and Illinois currently recognize the Monarch as their state butterfly. Bills like this one have been put forward in Wisconsin twice before. Rep. Tittl says this latest one could be taken up as early as the fall legislative session.
