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INDIANAPOLIS – Lawmakers got a taste of Hoosier history Thursday when the Indiana Senate approved a non-binding resolution urging the adoption of sugar cream pie as the state's official pie.
The resolution also honored Wick's Pies in Winchester, a family-owned business that started 60 years ago and has grown to 75 employees.
Sen. Allen Paul, R-Richmond, told his colleagues that sugar cream pie - similar to a creamy custard pie but without the eggs - was invented in Indiana and Wick's is the largest producer of sugar cream pies in the nation.
"What a wonderful tribute to our family, my father, our company and our community," said Mike Wickersham, head of Wick's Pies.
He brought along dozens of sugar cream pies, and slices were handed out free to lawmakers, staffers, lobbyists and reporters. The basic ingredients in a sugar cream pie are sugar, flour, whipping cream, vanilla and butter.
But the resolution caused a bit of controversy in the hallways of the Statehouse as lawmakers finished the third week of the session with neither chamber having voted on a bill.
"It sends the wrong message to be acting on that matter now," said House Republican Leader Brian Bosma, of Indianapolis. "So far all that's happened here is some resolutions and a few speeches."
The General Assembly often gets off to a slow start as committees gather information on bills.
But this year's pace has been especially slow, with lawmakers missing time for President Obama's inauguration and focusing initially on ceremonial events such as Gov. Mitch Daniels' inauguration and State of the State speech.
Bosma said legislators should be working on creating jobs, the state budget and constitutional property tax caps.
"We have critical issues," he said.
The House didn't vote on the pie resolution Thursday but did listen to a short speech about the pie's importance to Winchester.
Paul defended the resolution, saying it is not something to be made light of.
"This is who we should be honoring in this state," he said. "It's something for a company to be there all these years. This is Indiana commerce."
