BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A grade school student's plan to designate the Idaho giant salamander as the official state amphibian has passed the Idaho House.

Lawmakers voted 51-17 Monday to endorse 14-year-old Ilah Hickman's plan. Hickman has brought before the legislative each of the last five years. The House State Affairs Committee had killed the bill in late January, but unexpectedly revived the bill. Still, 17 Republicans — including all four members of GOP House leadership — voted against the bill.

The salamander lives almost exclusively in Idaho and can grow to be more than a foot long. The plan now goes to the Senate for consideration. Republican Rep. Patrick McDonald from Boise, who sponsored the bill, says that he grew to appreciate the salamander after one was brought to the committee's hearing

More From News Radio 1310 KLIX