This Just In: Bigfoot Steps Into the Legislature

The state Senate is considering two bills this session to commemorate Sasquatch, the already immortal figure of walking folklore or man-ape said to wander the forests of the Pacific Northwest, leaving giant footprints and sleepless hikers in its wake.

SB 6009 would authorize “the issuance of personalized collector vehicle license plates,” featuring an image of Bigfoot, according to the bill. The cost for the plate would go to pay for state park maintenance. The bill passed out of the rules committee Jan. 24 but was not yet scheduled for a vote.

The principal sponsor is Sen. Ann Rivers, a Republican from Clark County. “It makes perfect sense to capitalize on Sasquatch's popularity in a way that would help protect and improve habitat,” she said.

Rivers also introduced a bill last year to designate Sasquatch as the state's official cryptid (“hidden animal”). The bill, SB 5816, is scheduled for a public hearing Feb. 2.

In Skamania County, just east of Rivers’ district, it has been illegal to harm Sasquatch since 1984.