By B.J. Reyes

There’s an official state tree, state fish, state mammal, state marine mammal, state gem, state plant, state flower, state bird, and state dance. (Unofficially — I say that because it’s either not listed in the Hawaii Revised Statutes or I can’t find it — there is even a state soil.)

Now we are a step closer to having another official state symbol.

The House gave final apporoval today to House Bill 135, designating the Kamehameha Butterfly (Vanessa tameamea) as the state insect.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Blake Oshiro (D, Aiea-Halawa) on behalf of students at Pearl Ridge Elementary School. The students not only researched the subject and came up with the recommendation, they also testified in favor of the measure at the state Capitol.

It must have worked. The bill passed unanimously. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

By Richard Borreca

The political team of Kobayashi and Bainum is back.

From 1988 through 1990, Dr. Duke Bainum served as a volunteer or assistant to then Sen. Bert Kobayashi, learning all he could about Hawaii politics.

After a three-year tutelage from Kobayashi, 64, one of the Legislature’s more studious members, Bainum, 56, went on to serve eight years in the state House before going to the city council in 1994, where he served another eight years before unsuccessfully running for Mayor.

Now Bainum is back on the council and has hired Kobayashi as his special assistant.

By B.J. Reyes

No doubt the field to fill the District 3 City Council vacancy will get a bit more crowded between now and the March 9 filing deadline, but two of the better-known candidates already have entered the ring.

Former City Councilman Steve Holmes filed candidacy papers last week. Fellow former Councilman John Henry Felix followed suit yesterday.

Two others had filed as of yesterday (Paul Akau and Wilson Kekoa Ho), and other fairly well-known names may still enter the race, but some insiders say the contest is likely to come down to Holmes and Felix, with money being a key factor.

The special election is being conducted by mail-in ballot to fill the vacancy left by the death of Barbara Marshall, who died Feb. 23 after a battle with colon cancer.

The last day for candidates to file financial disclosure forms is March 23. Voter registration deadline for the Waimanlo district is March 24.

Ballots will be mailed approximately 20 days before the election.Walk-in absentee votingwill be held at City Hall from April 6-21 and the last day for ballots to be received in the mail is Apri 23.