When Oregon lawmakers have come together to do the state’s business, they’ve also adopted plants, animals, rocks, songs — you name it — they thought somehow were symbolic of the state.

This year, Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 would make basin wildrye (Leymus cinereus) the state grass, while House Concurrent Resolution 7 would make the border collie the state dog.

If you’re wondering why lawmakers would spend time on such matters, you’re not alone.

The border collie is a noble dog, to be sure, but even in England, where it has its roots, it wasn’t a recognized breed until the mid-1960s. True, dogs no doubt accompanied many of the state’s early white settlers, and some were certainly herding dogs, if not specifically border collies. Border collies are whip-smart, energetic and great to have around, but deeply ingrained in Oregon history? Sort of.

At least SCR 5, the basin ryegrass bill, deals with a grass that’s native to Oregon and the rest of the intermountain west. It’s a bunchgrass and has a variety of uses, from feed to shelter to the prevention of erosion. No other state claims the grass as its own, and that’s one reason, the bill says, it should be adopted.

Neither of these measures is harmful or offensive or much of anything else. If they’re approved, the basin wildgrass and the border collie will join Miss Oregon (designated state hostess since 1859), the city of Reedsport (chain saw carving capital since 2011) and square dance (the official state dance since 1977) as official state symbols.

The problem is, the 2019 Legislature has more than enough on its collective plate. It has Public Employees Retirement System problems; it’s hell-bent on passing rent control legislation and tax increases.

It should concentrate on the important stuff and leave the state dog and grass for another time. Even border collies can often distinguish between what’s important and what’s not.