Hynerpeton Wins Landslide Vote in State Senate, Advances to House
HARRISBURG – Harry the Hynerpeton and students in Mr. Josh Day’s Ecology class took Harrisburg by storm Tuesday afternoon in Bucktail High School’s effort to change the state fossil to the locally-found Hynerpeton bassetti.
Discovered in 1993 at the Red Hill Fossil Site in Hyner, the Hynerpeton Bassetti is a 350 million year old fossil that has only been found in the village of Hyner.
While the Trilobite is the current state fossil for numerous other states, the students in Mr. Day’s class have been hard at work to overturn current legislation designating it the Pennsylvania State Fossil thanks to the recommendation by Renovo resident Elizabeth Whitty.
“When I saw this is an ambitious group of students, that is an understatement,” State Senator Cris Dush said Tuesday afternoon from the General Assembly. “I have never seen such a group of students who not only brought this idea to the legislature, but went to the extent of having a mascot of the creature and a 3D printing of this creature.”
“They cleverly created Harry the Hynerpeton who I met with earlier today. The Bucktail High School students are currently seated in the Senate Gallery.”
Earlier this afternoon the state senate voted unanimously to continue the path of the Hynerpeton on to State Fossil-hood.
Senate Bill 829 passed 49-0 in what Dush described as “a landslide vote.” This bill now advances to the PA State House for “hopefully prompt and equally affirmative consideration.”
The bill was sponsored by Senator Cris Dush and co-sponsored by Senator Steven Santarsiero of the Bucks County area and Senator Amanda Cappelletti of the Delaware County and Montgomery County area.
Senate Bill 829 was referred to the State Government on June 6, 2025 and has since worked its way through the State Senate, Appropriations, and was passed this morning. Up next, the bill will be introduced into the State House, referred to committee, reported to committee, will receive its third consideration, and will then meet Governor Josh Shapiro for Executive Action.
Follow Harry on his journey to State Fossil-hood. Visit https://www.facebook.com/HarrytheHynerpeton for all of the latest information.
