News that a measure in Springfield has drawn the support of both Democrats and Republicans in this highly politicized era should be cause for celebration, but we admit to a bit of initial cynicism over passage of Senate Bill 3514.

After all, an announcement that Illinois was well on its way to having an official state mushroom — one dubbed the “Giant Puffball” no less — isn’t exactly what we have in mind when we talk about the importance of bipartisanship.

And, really, doesn’t the General Assembly have more pressing matters to address?

However, a little digging by reporter Maggie Rose Baron for an article that ran Monday showed us the error of dismissing the puffball as little more than political puffery.

The legislation was sponsored by State Sen. Seth Lewis, a Bartlett Republican, after he was approached students from the Prairie School of DuPage, a Wheaton private school with an environmentally focused curriculum. The students, in grades 3 through 5, had done their homework in proposing that the Calvatia Gigantea be elevated to official state status.

“I visited with the students last fall, and they expressed their interest in Illinois having a state mushroom,” Lewis said in the news release. “They explained how they collected qualitative and quantitative data and surveyed large groups of people. They also outlined how they narrowed the field of finalists through an election process and ultimately came to consensus that the Calvatia Gigantea should be this state’s newest symbol. I was impressed with the depth of their research, and it was a pleasure to carry SB 3514 on their behalf.”

We are impressed as well.

Twenty-five students even joined Lewis in Springfield for a bill presentation, with a student and teacher offering testimony.

A school project involving research, natural resources and an introduction to the political process is a valuable experience that these suburban students won’t soon forget. Plus, their advocacy showed them how to bring about change with the right mix of purpose and passion.

In addition, the students have taught those of us lacking in fungi facts that Calvatia Gigantea is no ordinary mushroom. They’re big, as their name implies, about 20 inches wide, according to state experts. They’re edible when they’re young. But once they are past their prime, snacking on puffballs can cause digestive distress.

Calvatia Gigantea’s place in Illinois history now rests with Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

We are confident he will send sign the bill enshrining Illinois’ newest state symbol. And when he does, he should offer a shoutout to the suburban students who pushed the Puffball to prominence.

Congratulations, Prairie students. Nice work.