Improving education and pushing to cool classrooms are among the top priorities for the two candidates in the race for a state Senate seat in West Oahu.
Democratic Sen. Will Espero, who is seeking a fifth term, faces Republican Kurt Fevella, a community activist, in the Nov. 8 general election to represent District 19, which includes Ewa Beach, Ewa by Gentry, Iroquois Point and part of Ewa Villages.
Espero, the Senate’s vice president, said along with education issues he would continue to champion legislation to improve law enforcement at the county and state levels. Espero, 55, has introduced measures urging greater police accountability and transparency. One of those bills, which was passed by the Legislature, calls for an independent review board to investigate cases in which someone is killed by an officer, dies in police custody or suffers serious bodily harm at the hands of police.
If re-elected, Espero said he plans to introduce other measures focusing on law enforcement recruitment and training standards and push for a statewide policy on officer-worn body cameras.
Espero said he would revisit a bill, which did not pass the Legislature this year, that offers tax incentives to businesses that open or relocate to the Kapolei region. He said more jobs on the Leeward Coast could alleviate traffic.
“It’s been an honor to see the Ewa Beach community grow,” Espero said. “I want to make certain that future generations … are able to buy a home here and get a good job and live in one of the most beautiful environments in the world.”
Espero said he would advocate for more cooling initiatives at James Campbell High School and other area schools and support completion of the University of Hawaii at West Oahu.
Born in Japan, Espero bought his first home in Ewa nearly 30 years ago. He serves as vice chairman of the Senate Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee.
He was appointed to the state House in 1999 by then-Gov. Ben Cayetano and won re-election in 2000. He was elected in 2002 to represent a newly created Senate district in Ewa Beach. Espero ran unsuccessfully in 2014 for Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District seat that was vacated by then-U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.
Fevella, president of the Ewa Beach Lions Club, said he supports more fans and air-conditioning units at Campbell High and more funding for a new building to ease crowded conditions there.
He said he would focus on helping the homeless and improving transportation. As part of the Lions Club, he said he has worked with local businesses to donate fans to area schools. He said he visits the homeless at Oneula Beach Park, known as Hau Bush, to check up on them and connect them to services.
He said adding another lane to congested Fort Weaver Road would alleviate traffic. Fevella, 49, also said more crosswalks, particularly near schools, would improve safety for students, including his 12-year-old daughter who attends Ilima Intermediate School.
“I know the true values of the new community. I totally relate to the community that was here for a long time,” Fevella said. “I want to bring a fresh taste to Ewa Beach. I don’t only hear about the problems, I live the problems.”
Fevella, a member of the Ewa Neighborhood Board, volunteers with the local Weed and Seed program and with the Neighborhood Security Watch. The Campbell High graduate, who worked as a city refuse inspector, describes community service as “a daily thing for me.”
He defeated newcomer Chris Fidelibus in the August Republican primary. Fevella, a longtime Ewa Beach resident, ran to represent House Districts 40 and 43 in 2012 and 2010, respectively, but was defeated in the Democratic primaries. In the 2008 general election for the House District 43 seat, he lost to then-Rep. Kymberly Pine. In recent years, Fevella said, his views have been more aligned with Republicans, prompting him to switch parties.
Espero and Fevella said they would not support increases to the state gas tax, vehicle weight tax and state registration fees to help pay for state road projects, as Gov. David Ige said he would again propose. Before considering tax increases, Fevella said, all state departments should be audited and overhauled to determine if there is any wasted money. Espero said the proposed increases would hurt his constituents, especially those who drive larger cars and commute long distances to work.
Regarding a proposal that seeks to extend Oahu’s half-percent excise tax surcharge to finance construction or operation of the rail system, the candidates differed in their responses.
In 2015, rail officials told state lawmakers that a five-year extension would likely be enough to complete the project. However, the cash-strapped project is now short more than $2 billion needed for the 20-mile rail line to Ala Moana Center from Kapolei, according to the latest official estimates.
Fevella said though he supports rail, officials need to investigate if there is any extra money that could be put back into the rail system’s coffers. Espero said he plans to introduce legislation that would extend the surcharge to generate more funds to first complete the rail to the University of Hawaii at Manoa, then use the remainder to fund state transportation projects.
