Candidate Response: Mahina Poepoe (D)

Mahina Poepoe (D)

Running for State Representative, District 13

1. What are your priority goals for Molokai if elected? 

I want to begin by expressing how grateful I am to have been trusted to serve as your representative for the past two years. This is a privilege that I do not take lightly, and I will continue to work hard every day to effect positive change reflecting my deep commitment to our people and ‘aina. 

Addressing disparities experienced by residents across our district while also representing the qualities and people that make our rural communities so special has been central to my approach as a legislator. 

Improving access to healthcare has been a top priority. This past session, I introduced a bill to create an Essential Rural Medical Air Transportation pilot project to provide chartered flights for residents on Molokai and Lanai to access non-emergency medical care on urban islands and to bring in providers to render on-island care. Funding was secured to establish a pilot program and the Department of Health is now in the planning phase for this program. 

I’ve also demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting public education, including proposing incentives to recruit teachers and to provide free school meals, securing funds to address critical maintenance needs and expand campuses, and increasing mental health resources.

Ensuring the vitality of our natural resources and increasing our overall resilience to be better prepared to withstand and respond to events such as disasters, climate change, disease outbreaks, geopolitical economic conditions, etc., have and will continue to be priority goals. 

2. How would you address the transportation issues that have frustrated Molokai residents in recent years? 

The history of the air transportation issues we’ve faced and how it has gotten to this point is complex. I think there are both short and long term strategies needed to address it. Recognizing that in the short term we need to improve medical travel, I introduced the earlier mentioned bill to help bring relief. In the long term, most agree that Molokai would benefit from having competition in the air space. I have passed multiple resolutions to bring awareness to this issue and to compel action at the federal level. I am committed to continuing to collaborate with my colleagues and the private sector on solutions that provide long term security and dependability in alignment with maintaining the character of our island home. This includes working with my federal counterparts to take a deeper dive into the Essential Air Service program and other federal mechanisms available to help subsidize the provision of air travel in rural areas. 

3. How would you help Molokai families who are struggling with the high cost of living? 

Through strengthening our social safety net and self-sustainability we can alleviate the high cost of living. We should ensure that programs such as Medicaid, LiHEAP, and SNAP receive the necessary funding. I strongly advocate for investing in building community resilience, expanding local circular food systems, regenerative and green industries, and small businesses and will continue to support measures providing income tax relief for working families, child care and long term care assistance, and paid family leave benefits. 

Learn more at votemahina.com.