Case, Cavasso Debate Jones Act, Rail, Akaka Tribe

CB: …On issues like the Honolulu rail project, which is a few billion dollars over budget, Cavasso and Case agreed that it’s too late to scrap it. Instead, they said there needs to be increased focus on controlling costs and finishing as fast as possible.

The candidates also both see the federal Jones Act as a contributor to Hawaii’s high cost of living. They want to see it reformed, with possible exemptions carved out for Hawaii….

Case supported letting states continue “to experiment” with legalization. He said the federal government should not continue to list it as a Schedule 1 drug alongside heroin and cocaine.

The candidates also differed on Native Hawaiian sovereignty.

Case said he supports a direct relationship between Native Hawaiians and the federal government, something akin to what American Indian tribes have on the mainland.

“Native Hawaiians are better off if they exercise autonomy over a limited scope of their own affairs,” he said.

Cavasso opposes a Hawaiian nation and said it’s not in the best interest of Native Hawaiians to be given a similar classification as American Indians….

Asked how they would reform the health insurance marketplace, Case said the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, had made solid accomplishments in ensuring coverage of up to 40 million previously uninsured people while restricting the ability of health insurers to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

He said the program’s rollout was rough but it should not be jettisoned. Instead, he said it needs to be fixed by giving states more flexibility to adapt to their own unique situations.

Cavasso, who supported Trump’s positions on issues throughout the forum, said Obamacare hurt the country. He said he wants to let doctors design their own system….

Former Democratic Congressman Ed Case and former Republican state Rep. Cam Cavasso were also divided over whether U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono should have told men across the country last week to “shut up and step up” in regards to sexual assault….

read … Ed Case And Cam Cavasso Far Apart On Kavanaugh Nomination 

SA: Ed Case, Cam Cavasso differ on health care, marijuana