It might not be the most important piece of legislation on the table right now… but maybe the most, uh, unique. Four Georgia state legislators have proposed and supported a bill that would make cornbread the official bread of the state of Georgia. The bill is sponsored by Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton), Steve Tarvin (R-Chickamauga), Omari Crawford (D-Decatur) and Tim Fleming (R-Covington), and was introduced early in 2025 on January 13th. Here’s what we know!
What does the bill say?
The actual piece of legislation is pretty straightforward:
To amend Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to other state symbols, so as to designate cornbread as the official state bread of Georgia; to provide legislative findings and declarations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
In other words, ‘cornbread’ would be added to the list of state symbols. Think peaches, the brown thrasher (our state bird), or Waffle House (okay, that one’s unofficial!)
Why cornbread?
The answer is basically exactly what you think: cornbread is a very Georgia-centric food. From its roots in Native American cooking, to the use of cornbread in Soul food and traditional southern cooking… if you live in Georgia, you’ve eaten cornbread.
The lead author of the bill, Carpenter, thinks cornbread would be a great addition to the list of Georgia symbols because of its power to united people of different backgrounds.
He says, “I think it basically pays tribute across all races, creeds… Cornbread is something as Georgian as peaches, I believe.”
Read the full bill on the Georgia General Assembly’s website here!
And enjoy some cornbread while you do! One thing’s for sure… we do love our cornbread in Georgia!