Every legislative session, at least one bill gets an outsized amount of attention. This year, it’s the Pueblo Chile specialty license plate. On Tuesday the state Senate passed House Bill 1012 to the governor to be signed into law.

Maybe it was the heat of competition.

Legislators in Colorado and New Mexico were racing to see which could create the first state specialty plate to honor their peppers, as both lay claim to the best around.

New Mexico lawmakers were quicker, but last Friday Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed the bill, because she thought the price was too high, $35.

Instead, the Land of Enchantment will offer a standard plate at no extra cost proclaiming New Mexico is the “Chile Capital of the World.”

Yeah, they say. Maybe Colorado can get a plate that says it’s “Home to the Less Dramatic Politicians.” But why be sore losers?

The Colorado plate is $50.

“Anyone who knows me knows how proud I am to be a native son of Pueblo,” Sen. Leroy Garcia, the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement. “But if there’s one thing people across the country is starting to learn about Pueblo, besides its thriving agriculture, is that brightly colored chile that is native to our part of the state, and all the incredible dishes that use it.

“The Pueblo chile license plate showcases southern Colorado and the Pueblo chile farms, which are part of the fabric of our rich history and culture. I am proud that with this bill, Coloradans will proudly be able to show off that heritage to everyone.”

Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, sponsored the chile bill in the House.

“This bill has already helped to spread the word about Pueblo chile and spark economic growth. It’s been great to work with so many people from Southern Colorado to endorse the best chile in the world,” she stated.