Full Name: Feki Pouha

Name on Ballot: Feki Pouha

Age: 32

Political Party: Republican

Running For: House

District: 47

Email Address: fekipouha@gmail.com

Current Job: State representative; entrepreneur

Place of birth: Kahuku Hospital

Campaign website: www.FekiPouha.com

Job history past 10 years:

2006 – 2008: Undergraduate studies

2008 – 2009: Teacher, Hakipu’u Learning Center PCS

2009 – 2012: Law school student

2012 – present: Entrepreneur

2014 – present: State representative, House District 47

Ever run for public office? If so, when? Outcome?

Yes, in 2014 for state representative; successful outcome.

Other civic experience or community service?

Anything else you’d like voters to know about you?

>> Married for 10 years to Kieiki Kahalepuna with three children ages 9, 8 and 18 months.

>> Served as two-year volunteer LDS mission in Uganda, East Africa.

>> Son of Joe and Lee Pouha, a community advocate and social worker, respectively.

>> Raised in Hauula on Oahu

What makes you qualified to be a state representative?

My collaborative experience, resulting success and realistic goals qualify my bid to serve. Pushing the Turtle Bay Conservation Easement Purchase through the House in 2015, establishing/supporting community volunteer efforts like KFAST and securing millions for school improvements denote my qualifications and aloha for my hometown district and state.

Gov. Ige says he will once again propose increases to the state gas tax, vehicle weight tax and state registration fees to help pay for state road projects. Do you support his proposal? 

The constituents of my district would suffer greater hardship under increases in the state gas tax, vehicle weight tax and state registration, so I am not completely supportive of that broad proposal. I would be supportive of other means of funding for needed road projects.

If the Legislature is again asked to extend Oahu’s half-percent excise tax surcharge to finance construction or operation of the rail system, would you support such an extension? 

It would be impossible for me to support another extension or increase of the excise tax to pay for the rail if costs continue out of control. At this point, I do believe that the rail project should be completed but not by raising taxes.

Should the state play a role in cracking down on illegal vacation rentals in Hawaii? 

“Illegal vacation rentals” are typically illegal because the permitting process is at a longstanding impasse, there is no outright ban on the various ways people do home-sharing and consistent enforcement improvements are tough to come by. Direct state regulation comes if county-level leaders abdicate their kuleana and tax share.

Should the Legislature require that police officers in Hawaii use “body cameras,” and help to fund the use of those cameras? 

I am not opposed to requiring police officers to use body cameras if that is the will of the people. The funding and regulation of how, when and in what manner the cameras must operate are for stakeholders like the labor board, the police union and others to work out.

Dozens of police officers in Hawaii are disciplined each year for committing crimes or violating departmental policies, but little information is released about the officers or their cases. Do you think there needs to be greater public disclosure?

Yes, if it engenders public trust and does not unreasonably interfere with the work of law enforcement and the adjudicative process. I think law enforcement work is complex and generally misunderstood. But, there is no excuse for hiding certain information from the public that the public deserves to know.