The cruise industry has taken the unusual step of filing a lawsuit seeking to enjoin the enforcement of a new Hawaiian law that they claim is unconstitutional and will impose unreasonable fees on cruise ships docking in the state. At issue is a new law known as the “Green Fee” enacted in Hawaii in May, and due to go into effect on January 1, increasing the state tax on hotels and short-term rentals, and for the first time extending the tax to cruiseship passengers.
The state government ratified the first-of-its-kind legislation this year, saying it would provide funding to deal with the impacts of…
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Excerpt curated from The Maritime Executive website.
