The Illinois state government has been reeling from the January impeachment of former Governor Milorad "Rod" Blagojevich.  So to try to take the people's minds off the debacle, or maybe to satisfy their inner love of astronomy, the state Congressional leaders have crafted a rather curious resolution.

The House passed a measure "reinstating" Pluto as a planet.  The announcement from the state's Congress reads:

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that as Pluto passes overhead through Illinois’ night skies, that it be reestablished with full planetary status, and that March 13, 2009 be declared “Pluto Day” in the State of Illinois in honor of the date its discovery was announced in 1930.

The elected officials go on to praise the fact that Pluto was discovered by someone from Illinois, stating, "WHEREAS, Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of the planet Pluto, was born on a farm near the Illinois community of Streator."

And while there's certainly no harm in a bit of state pride, they then go on to make a glaring mistake, stating:

WHEREAS, Dr. Tombaugh is so far the only Illinoisan and only American to ever discover a planet; and...

This is obviously, very inaccurate as Americans have discovered hundreds of planets outside the solar system.  Pluto, though, according to most astronomers, is not one of them.  Most astronomers have agreed that Pluto is too small to be classified as a planet, especially since there's larger objects in farther orbits past Pluto that are not considered Planets. 

In the last year alone, American astronomers have discovered dozens of new worlds and several new moons or moonlets. 

While a bit factually flawed, Pluto lovers can rejoice at least -- Pluto is back to being a planet, if only in Illinois.