We have a state insect. That's the green darner dragonfly.

We have a state fruit. That's the apple, of course.

But do you know our state vegetable?

We don't have one of those.

Some local kids think it should be the Walla Walla sweet onion.

It's been a class project every year for three years running. Toni Miller's ninth grade humanities class at Kirkland Junior High drafts a bill to make the Walla Walla Sweet Onion a state symbol.

They learn about government. "First we had to introduce it to legislators," said Ninth grader Lorrie Deskin. "Then we had to get it passed. There's lots of steps. It's kind of complicated."

They learn about Walla Walla Sweet Onions. "It's very unique," says ninth grader David John Du. "It's only grown in Washington."

They learn about lobbying. The vote in the House was 95 to 1 on Monday.

So things were looking sweet for the Walla Walla onions and the kids. But then along comes the Washington Potato Commission.

Potatoes are a $1.5 billion industry in our state. By comparison, onions are small .. well .. they're just not as big of a deal.

So the spud wants its due.

"I can see where they have a point," says ninth grader Karl Myers.

But it will have to face off with Mrs. Miller's ninth graders. "It has a high production rate in Washington," Myers says. "But it's not a special breed or special of potato native to Washington like the Walla Walla Sweet."

The class contends Idaho is so well known for its potatoes, Washington would look like it was copying the neighbor to the east.

"Potato? Why the potato? Couldn't they think of anything more original? To me that's what the average person would say," says their teacher Toni Miller. "So why don't we pick something that is unique to this state."

The vegetable showdown now moves to the state Senate where some lawmakers are friendly with the potato. If they manage to squash the onion's state symbol status, the kids will have learned that much more.

"About government? Oh wow. I've learned a ton," says ninth grader Gabriella Wright.

And about onions?

"I've also learned that it tastes pretty good," Wright says.