By Howard Fischer
Mail | X: @azcapmedia

PHOENIX - A freshman Tucson lawmaker says he always greets people with a "howdy.''

And now Democrat Kevin Volk wants a state law to help that catch on.

He is proposing to the Arizona Legislature designate "howdy'' as the "official state greeting.''

His HB 2764 would have that saying join an extensive list of items mentioned in state statute as official, a list that includes everything from the cactus wren as the state bird and the Bola tie as neckware to the sonorasaurus as the state dinosaur and even lemonade as the state drink.

But more about that in a bit.

He has received bipartisan support for what he says is a fun way to single Arizona out for visitors in the form of cosponsors. Now the question is whether a majority of his colleagues - and Gov. Katie Hobbs if it gets to her desk - is willing to go along.

"It's getting harder on us to hang on to our cultural heritage,'' Volk said. And he called the greeting "part of history and culture as a state.''

Plus, the lifelong resident contends "howdy'' is unique to Arizona.

But the real goal, said Volk, is to draw attention to the state and its cowboy culture.

Consider, he said, having it be a reminder of all the Westerns that were made in Arizona. That includes not just those at Old Tucson over the years but even further back, things like John Ford filming John Wayne in Monument Valley.

All that, he said, could become a draw for people to visit here.

Volk said his inspiration came when Rep. Justin Wilmeth waged a successful fight last year to have Pluto declared Arizona's official "state planet.''

It's not that the Phoenix Republican thought Arizona would be claiming the farthest planet - or dwarf planet as has been declared - as its own. But what it did, said Volk, is call attention to the fact that Pluto was discovered at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.

And that, he said, has promoted tourism.

Still, Volk acknowledged, that leaves the question of whether "howdy'' is uniquely Arizonan or, conversely, whether it truly reflects the state's history and culture.

What of the state's Latino roots? After all, Arizona originally was part of Mexico. And some of the communities in this state go back that far.

Volk said he sees no reason why "hola'' or some similar greeting might also not be appropriate.

And what of the state's Native American history.

The Navajo use Ya'at'eeh as a greeting, which also means "it is good.'' Volk said that, too, would be part of a "nice mix'' of official state greetings.

But with multiple - and possibly competing - ideas, that leaves the question of exactly how controversial the largely ceremonial measure could prove.

There is a history of what happens when people have their own ideas.

Consider a 1998 proposal to have the Dilophosauras declared the official state dinosaur, an idea pushed by a state senator who said it was a suggestion from a 9-year-old constituent.

Simple enough until it ran into opposition from some volunteers at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum who pointed to excavations being done near Sonoita into the Sonorasaurus.

The fight was so divisive that both proposals failed. And it took another two decades before lawmakers revisited the issue and chose Sonorasaurus.

Then there was the 2011 vote to declare the Colt single action Army revolver to be the official state firearm.

Albert Hale, then a state representative from Window Rock, objected to providing official state recognition to "an instrument of destruction.'' Hale, a Navajo, said his people were all too often on the wrong end of that weapon.

"Does this mean we honor and celebrate the killing of my relatives?'' he asked colleagues.

Hale lost that battle. And the Colt is now on the list of official state items.

And then there was the 2019 debate about Arizona needing an official state drink.

The state has a history of growing oranges. But Florida already had laid claim to orange juice.

That led to a floor debate about finding something more Arizona specific.

One senator suggested the margarita.

"What is a great Mexican dinner in Arizona without a margarita?'' asked Sen. Victoria Steele. Plus, there's the fact that the World Margarita Championship is conducted in Tucson.

Others, however, were cool to having an alcoholic beverage commemorated in state statute.

There was a proposal for sun tea.

But another said Jamaica tea, a drink made from hibiscus flowers was more representative.

"It's all over the Mexican restaurants,'' said Sen. Juan Mendez. "Anywhere you can get a burrito, you can get a Jamaica drink.''

In the end, the other idea fell away, and lemonade was added to the list on the signature of then-Gov. Doug Ducey.

It appears that only one other state has an official state greeting, that being "Aloha.''

Missouri lawmakers tried a decade ago to make the "high five'' that state's official greeting, but with no luck.

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