If you’re wondering how the California legislature decided to spend its time lately, allow us to present Assembly Bill 666. Yes, folks, in the golden state, we’ve officially gone from high-speed rail to promoting our very own Sasquatch. Assemblymember Chris Rogers, who seems to represent a district where Bigfoot has become less of a legend and more of a resident (or so they claim), is aiming to declare Bigfoot California’s “official cryptid”. Why not? We’ve got an official flower, tree, and even a state dance, so why not add a furry fella that might or might not exist?

For those unfamiliar with the idea of a cryptid, it’s basically a creature whose existence is based on anecdotal evidence and blurry photos. Rogers probably figured, if so many other quirky creatures have symbols, why shouldn’t we grab onto a franchise that’s already got merchandise galore?

Rogers’ proposal is quite brief, so short, in fact, that you could probably write it on a napkin during your coffee break. He single-handedly hopes to galvanize the notoriously apathetic San Francisco Bay Area into becoming true believers in the great, elusive creature. Given the state’s rich portfolio of quirky symbols, including the famous golden poppy and a tattoo of the saber-toothed cat, you can almost hear the collective groan from the skeptics drowning out the cheers from Bigfoot enthusiasts.

Speaking of enthusiasts, enter Matt Moneymaker, who turned his quest for Sasquatch into reality TV fame. This former star of “Finding Bigfoot” seems convinced that he encountered the hairy beast face-to-face. “I was absolutely sure they existed,” he mused. “It growled right at me!” Well, if growling counts as proof, let’s hope that a few raccoons don’t decide to audition for the role.

Rogers represents Northern California, a connective tissue of small towns where sightings have been steeped in folklore since the 1950s. Home to the Bigfoot Museum, Bigfoot Motel, and assorted Bigfoot-themed establishments that would make any conspiracy theorist swoon, this corner of California is a smorgasbord for cryptid fanatics. This bill is nothing if not a clever marketing stunt to reel in more tourists who are looking to get their fix of the supernatural while simultaneously burning cash at Bigfoot-themed eateries.

While skeptics remain dubious (count me right in there), the folks at the Bigfoot Field Researchers’ Organization swear there’s some truth to all this. They’ve logged sightings galore, over 77,000 and counting. So here’s to California, where we embrace the absurd with open arms. At this rate, we might just start printing currency that features our state cryptid, making capitalism even weirder than it already is.