Oklahoma lawmakers are now anti-watermelon…

1:40 PM EST on January 28, 2015

joleen chaney bobbie miller watermellons

Earlier this week, The Tulsa World reported that some Oklahoma lawmakers want to abolish the watermelon as the state vegetable of Oklahoma.

Yeah, that's right. The watermelon is our state vegetable.

Via The Tulsa World:

Watermelon may soon be on its way out as Oklahoma’s official state vegetable.
Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed Senate Bill 329 to revoke its designation, saying watermelon is a fruit, not a vegetable.
Legislation passed in 2007 designated the juicy melon as the state’s official vegetable, thanks to then-Rep. Joe Dorman’s House Bill 1669.
Dorman, D-Rush Springs, is a big supporter of the annual watermelon festival held the second Saturday in August in his hometown. He said passage of HB 1669 resulted in increased attendance and sales.
“We will defend, support and make sure it is upheld as the state vegetable for Oklahoma,” said Rep. Scooter Park, R-Devol, Dorman’s replacement in House District 65.
He said the state has a lot of issues that are more important than repealing the act making watermelon the state vegetable.
The state fruit label isn’t available because the strawberry has already secured that lofty status.

I don't know about you, but this just seems like a petty and obvious attack on Joe Dorman's legacy as a state representative. First Governor Fallin doesn't keep "Do You Realize" as the State Rock Song, and now they're trying to do away with the Watermelon as the State Vegetable. You have to feel sorry for Joe. Those are like his two crowning achievements as a legislator. What's he going to brag about now when he tries to pick up chicks at Nancy's Lighthouse?

"Hi, I'm Joe Dorman. Would you like to do a shot of watermelon vodka with me?"

"Uhm, no thank you."

"Please. You know I am the guy who got watermelon named the official Oklahoma State Vegetable?"

"Wait. Watermelon is the official state vegetable?"

"Well, it was for a little while, but then this... hey... wait... where are you going... don't leave... I was going to ask if you wanted to sing "Do You Realize" with me for karaoke later!"

Seriously, I feel sorry for Joe. In fact, I feel so sorry for him that I've come up with three reasons why the Watermelon should stick around as state vegetable.

Check them out:

1. The National Watermelon Board acknowledges that a watermelon can be both a fruit and vegetable. So although a watermelon may not be the first thing that comes to mind when your doctor says to eat more vegetables, it works.

2. Joleen Chaney likes watermelons. If it's good for JoJo, it must be good for everyone.

3. We live in Oklahoma. We have a bunch of state symbols that are awkward fits. For example, take our state meal. It consists of black-eyed peas, chicken fried steak, cornbread, corn on the cob, okra, strawberries, sausage and gravy, barbecue pork, squash, biscuits, grits, and pecan pie. I know that our official state health epidemic is obesity and everything, but that "meal" seems like it would be a better off as our official state heart attack inducer.