Holy cow: What's the deal with all the milk legislation in Congress and the Capitol?

There's a lot of talk about milk legislation lately — in Madison, Washington and now late-night television sets in New York.

"Saturday Night Live" poked fun at a bill approved by the U.S. House last week, which has yet to be passed in the Senate, that seeks to bring 2% and whole milk back to school cafeterias.

During the Weekend Update segment, Colin Jost referenced Rep. Derrick Van Orden's comments that "milk comes from a mammal." He joked that the Republican from Prairie du Chien "looks like if Santa stormed the Capitol."

Van Orden responded on X (formerly Twitter) that he rated the skit "3.25 out of 10. Coincidently, that is the milkfat content of whole milk. And you both just signed up for coal in your stockings. Merry Christmas."

Other Republicans in Wisconsin's delegation spoke on the House floor in support of bringing back the options, which were removed in 2012 as part of former First Lady Michelle Obama's push to combat childhood obesity.

"With these restrictions, (students) might choose to forgo milk entirely, if you have to drink the less tasty 1%, or even worse, fat-free milk," said Rep. Glenn Grothman, a Republican from Glenbeulah.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican from Minocqua, also pushed through an amendment to the bill that prevents a ban on chocolate milk in schools.

Other milk legislation hasn't gone as far in Congress, including Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin's DAIRY PRIDE Act, which would prevent the "milk" label from being used on non-dairy yogurt, milk and cheese.

The bipartisan measure is cosponsored by all six Republicans who represent Wisconsin in the U.S. House. But it hasn't gotten past the introduction stage to get hearings in committees.

But the idea could again pick up steam in Madison, after a similar "truth-in-labeling" proposal was reintroduced by lawmakers Friday amid challenges for the industry that gives the state its nickname.

The Republican-led proposal passed the Assembly twice in 2020 and 2021, with some support from Democrats, but the Senate never voted to send it to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

More: Say goodbye to 'soy milk' and 'walnut burgers' if Wisconsin lawmakers get their way

Under the bill, only products that come from a "cow or other hooved or camelid mammal" — such as a goat — could be labeled as milk. Plant-based products would be required to have a "drink" or "beverage" label.

"Ask any dairy farmer in Wisconsin and they will tell you that milk comes from a cow," Rep. Peter Schmidt, R-Bonduel, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, wrote in a memo to lawmakers seeking support.

"Dairy farmers are frustrated that these mislabeled beverages continue to appear in stores and misuse dairy names."

More: Americans love soda, fancy water and fake milk. Can the dairy industry keep up?

The idea has been supported by industry groups like the Dairy Business Association, the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association and the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, who say dairy has important nutritional differences.

Among the opponents: The Alliance for Plant-Based Inclusion, which previously argued the change would "only serve to confuse rather than inform" consumers.

The bill has a catch — it would only go into effect if at least 10 states pass a similar bill by 2031, due to interstate commerce concerns. North Carolina and Maryland have so far enacted the law.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Holy cow: What's the deal with all the milk legislation?