Photo: Gov. Maura Healey/X
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A group of Franklin residents returned to the State House on Friday to mark 50 years since their second grade class made their first visit to convince lawmakers of the need for an official state bug.
The insect in question? A ladybug. The second graders made their case in 1974 by approaching local legislator Jim Ficco, who helped get the second graders to the statehouse and pass bill H 5155: An Act designating the ladybug as the official bug of the commonwealth.
The children dressed in homemade ladybug costumes to give their plea a personal touch.
The Franklin second graders at the State House in 1974. Photo: Gov. Maura Healey/X
“It was a highlight of my childhood. I remember taking the bus to the big city,” said Joanne Lessard, one member of the so-called “Franklin Ladybugs.”
The group hailed from John F. Kennedy Memorial School in Franklin. The students decided to choose a ladybug because it’s a symbol of luck.
“It’s amazing how huge everything looked when we were tiny and how, almost shocking it was to leave our little town, come into the city,” Vicki Earls said.
Jim Vallee, one of the second graders lobbying for the bug, grew up to be a Massachusetts State Rep. for Norfolk County and a House Majority Leader.
Vallee served for 17 years, but he looks back most fondly on the ladybug bill.
“I would say that’s probably one of the most significant pieces of legislation I’ve ever been involved in passing,” Vallee said. “ I’m proud of being a part of that legacy and teaching kids how to access their government, be a part of their government.”
WBZ's Mike Macklin reports.
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