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Connecticut is being criticized for its proposal to make pizza its official State Food.
States in the US often declare certain dishes to be official State Foods for their contribution to the states’ culture or economy. Recently, Representative Patricia Dillon and Senator Gary Winfield proposed a bill to recognize pizza’s importance to Connecticut by making it the official State Food. However, the proposal was met by opposition from some people in other states.
Jason Kaplan, a restaurant consultant from New York, countered the lawmakers’ proposal, saying that his state is the pizza capital. His claim was backed by some netizens on Twitter.
People from New York’s neighboring state, New Jersey, also took to social media to express a similar reaction to the bill. The official Twitter account of the governor of New Jersey reposted the news about the proposal with the caption “no.” In a statement, the account’s social media manager claimed that New Jersey is the “pizza capital of the world,” adding that a state should not make pizza its official State Food if it does not produce the world’s best pizza.
Despite the negative reactions, Rep. Dillon defended the bill and said that Connecticut has great pizza. She added that compared to big pizza chains found in other states, Connecticut pizza restaurants are often family-owned businesses. Rep. Dillon also said that these restaurants have their own branding, identity, and following. In addition to this, Rep. Dillon explained that the bill is meant to celebrate the joy that pizza brings to the residents of Connecticut amid the current grim global situation.