Senator shows off sugar glider

Sen. John Bulloch (R-Ochlocknee) pulled a sugar glider from his pocket on the Senate floor Wednesday as he pitched a bill that would allow Georgians to keep the critters — like mini-flying squirrels — as pets.

Elissa Eubanks/AJC (ENLARGE)

Pocket pet: Sen. John Bullock (R-Ochlocknee), with a sugar glider, touts the rain forest creatures as companions.

The sugar glider crawled around Bulloch's arm as he explained that 46 other states already had given their approval to the bug-eyed animals.

Sugar gliders are natives to the rain forests of Australia and Indonesia and have winged membranes that help them glide from tree to tree as they seek out fruits and veggies.

Senators passed the bill 53-0.

Of queens and their subjects

The beauty queens had their day in the Senate on Wednesday. Three crown-clad peanut queens and Miss Georgia made their way to the chamber to be recognized. Forming quickly was a shoulder-to-shoulder line of senators and staffers anxious to pose with Leah Massee, Miss Georgia 2007.

— Andrea Jones