Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, March 1, 2013
Sen Solomon Resolutions Urge Hawaii Jones Act Exemption
By Andrew Walden @ 2:13 PM :: 6648 Views :: Jones Act

Sen. Malama Solomon February 28 introduced two Senate Resolutions (SR20 and SCR42) with identical wording requesting Hawaii be exempted from the Jones Act.  Here is the full text: 

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 42

REQUESTING CONGRESS TO PROVIDE AN EXEMPTION OR A SUNSET WAIVER FOR HAWAII FROM THE JONES ACT TO LOWER CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND PROVIDE NEW TONNAGE.

WHEREAS, historically the United States has sought to protect its shipping industry through cabotage laws, such as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly known as the Jones Act; and

WHEREAS, the Jones Act strictly limits the shipping of merchandise between the United States and its territories to American-built and registered ships crewed by United States citizens; and

WHEREAS, eighty percent of the goods consumed in Hawaii are imported from the mainland or foreign countries, and ninety-eight percent of these goods come by ship; and

WHEREAS, while transpacific shipping costs are some of the lowest in the world, especially from the United States to Asia, the freight rates between the mainland and Hawaii are some of the highest; and

WHEREAS, much of the high cost of living in Hawaii can be attributed to unnecessarily high shipping costs caused by the Jones Act; and

WHEREAS, such excess costs present an immense and unfair burden on the people of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, Congress already recognized the unique aspects of the Pacific region and the excessive burdens placed on it by the Jones Act when it exempted the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa from the applicability of the Jones Act; and

WHEREAS, the almost total dependence on sea freight services makes the economy of Hawaii extremely sensitive to even minor restrictions or disruptions in transportation; and

WHEREAS, any disruption in the delivery of oil, food, or other vital goods would severely threaten the health, safety, and security of residents of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, an exemption from the Jones Act would protect the collective health, safety, and security of the people of Hawaii and would also foster shipping competition that will economically benefit consumers; and

WHEREAS, the federal Government Accountability Office by letter dated April 10, 2012, indicated that it would release a report by February 28, 2013, on its review of the Jones Act and its effect upon the economy of Hawaii, among other places; and

WHEREAS, it is anticipated that the report of the Government Accountability Office will recommend that a "sunset waiver" be created to provide an exemption for Hawaii from the Jones Act that would result in lower constructions costs and allow for new tonnage and more ships to serve Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, the House of Representatives concurring, that this body respectfully requests the Congress of the United States to pass legislation granting an exemption or a sunset waiver from the Jones Act to Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body respectfully requests the President of the United States and his administration to support the Congressional legislation requested herein; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii's congressional delegation is urged to request Congress to exempt Hawaii from the Jones Act; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, Vice President of the United States, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, and members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation.

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT