AUGUSTA, Maine — There are kids who hate the part of school in which you learn about How a Bill Becomes Law, and there are kids who like it. I fell into the latter camp in Mr. Krum’s 8th grade social studies class, which ended up serving me well several years later when I became a reporter and started having to make sense of the operations of the Maine legislature.
Justin Chenette, a Democratic state senator from Saco, also fell into the like-it camp. His enthusiasm for the subject has, if anything, only increased, and that’s why he’s written a coloring book for kids called “The Great Whoopie Debate—How Your Idea Becomes Maine Law.”
It offers puzzles, mazes, crosswords and more, all designed to guide kids through the process of how an idea become a bill and then, perhaps, a law. It is, as the book says, “a real-life illustration of when Maine legislators debated the state dessert.” Yes, Maine has a state dessert…and a state herb…state crustacean…state cat…state fish…and state beverage, to name just a few.
In case you were wondering, the state beverage isn’t Allen’s Coffee Brandy—it’s Moxie. If you disapprove, contact your legislator. Maybe you have a better idea, one you can turn into law.