A group of young student lobbyists tasted success Wednesday night.

The Legislature passed and sent to the governor a bill making the ice cream cone Missouri’s official state dessert.

As the youths looked on from the upper gallery, the House approved the bill 112-31. The Senate had passed it previously.

Supporters paid a special tribute to Elise Kostial, 12, of Ellisville, for her lobbying prowess. She was having dinner at a restaurant in the capital recently when she recognized a legislator at a nearby table.

LIke any good lobbyist, she seized the opportunity to press her case. She came armed with facts and figures. For example, the ice cream cone made its worldwide debut at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. Some of the first companies to make the cone were located in Sullivan, Mo.

“It was an amazing experience,” Kostial said after the bill passed.

Not everyone was enthusiastic. Rep. Paul LeVota, D-Independence, said he would back the bill because “I don’t think anything else productive’s going to happen this session.”

Told by the sponsor, Rep. Charlie Schlottach, R-Owensville, that the bill would be good for agribusiness, Rep. Mike Talboy, D-Kansas City, quipped: “And angioplasty business.”