Illinois Students Create Ballot, Get Legislation Passed For State Rock

ILLINOIS ­— The Land of Lincoln may be known for a lot of things, but as of Monday, Illinois now has a new state rock.

Appearing at a ceremony at the Morton Arboretum, Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled dolostone, a form of limestone, as the official rock of Illinois. But how the state rock came to be official can be traced to students from Burr Ridge and Naperville.

The students, from Pleasantdale Elementary and Maplebrook Elementary, were behind the initiative to name a state rock, which led to House Bill 4261, according to a news release from Pritzker’s office on Monday. The students began with 10 options and then created a ballot, which led to the selection of dolostone as the official rock of Illinois.

Dolostone, a form of limestone, forms the majority of Illinois's bedrock, establishing a foundation for the state's other natural terrain, the news release said. Its name comes from its original discovery in the Dolomite Alps.

The state rock joins other state items such as the state bird (Northern red cardinal) the state flower (the violet) and the state fish (blue gill).

"Seeing young people use their voices and the democratic process to make a change in our state is truly inspiring," Pritzker said in a news release. "These young leaders have a bright future of organizing and civic engagement that I am excited to watch. They could not have picked a better rock to represent the strength and stability of Illinois."

Other lawmakers agreed.

"With today's bill signing, we're not only establishing an official state rock with a long history of economic and geological significance to Illinois, we're building the foundation for a new generation of lifelong learners who are civically engaged and ready to contribute to their communities," State Representative Yang Rohr, (D-Naperville), said.

State Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) took it a step further to inject some rock humor into the discussion.

"Developing this legislation has been a fantastic learning experience for students across our state, and this is an opportunity to show the next generation that they are capable of great things," Ellman said. "I encourage Illinoisans to learn more about dolostone, and although it may be similar to other rocks, we shouldn't take it for granite."