Pa. House Passes Bill Making Hershey’s Kisses Official Candy

Pennsylvania is moving closer to officially naming Hershey’s Kisses as the state candy, a designation supported by a bill overwhelmingly passed by the state House with a 150-53 vote. The initiative began as a school project by students in Bucks County who advocated for Hershey’s Kisses due to their deep-rooted history and economic impact in the state, including the use of local milk and support for the Milton Hershey School. Rep. Tom Mehaffie of Dauphin County, home to the Hershey Company, is the bill’s sponsor and emphasized Hershey’s recent factory expansions and job creation. However, the Senate faces a competing proposal from Sen. Lisa Boscola to make Peeps, another Pennsylvania-made candy, the official state treat, setting up a legislative contest. Despite some debate over Hershey’s corporate history, many locals express strong support for Hershey’s Kisses as a symbol of Pennsylvania’s confectionery heritage. The bill now awaits a final decision in the Pennsylvania Senate.