Rep. Fagan explains coffee bill backing

State legislator Susan Fagan has two words for those asking why she signed the bill to make coffee the state beverage; “two minutes.”

Fagan said it took her that much time to read and sign the bill which was pitched by a group of high school students in the Puget Sound area. Rep. Barbara Bailey of district 10 introduced the bill at the behest of the students. The class was learning how state legislature works in their government class.

“I totally agree there are many more important things to do,” Fagan said.

Fagan said she received an e-mail from a Colfax resident challenging the reasons why she signed the bill when there are more important legislative matters to attend.

“Yes, there are much more important things going on here in Olympia,” she wrote back. She pointed to several of her other state commitments, such as her ongoing hand in state education legislative matters.

Fagan told the Gazette she signed the bill to help Rep. Bailey get it going through the legislature. She said there may not even be a hearing for the bill.

The bill designates coffee as the official state beverage. Literature on the bill states that half of the states in the U.S. have chosen a state beverage. Coffee is also a vital function in the state’s industry and culture, the bill reads.