HONOLULU — Hawaii Superferry officials, investors and state legislative leaders resumed discussion yesterday on the details of a bill that would allow the company to operate while an environmental review is completed, state Rep. Jimmy Tokioka said.
Gov. Linda Lingle has spearheaded the charge to save Hawaii Superferry from leaving the islands by challenging the state judiciary and calling on lawmakers to convene a special session to rewrite the law.
Kaua‘i representatives have opposed such action to unblock the company while the state assesses the impact the 350-foot catamaran’s daily trips from O‘ahu to Maui and Kaua‘i may have on marine life, invasive species, traffic and Hawaiian culture.
Legislators have said a special session could be convened by the end of October.
Without admitting any fault on her part or that of her administration, Republican Lingle is campaigning hard for a special legislative session to, in effect, overrule the courts, tying the ferry’s future to that of the state.
“A special legislative session is not about one vessel or one company; it’s about the future economic health of our state,” Lingle said in a statement.
Lingle also cites recent public opinion polls that show broad support for the state’s first inter-island car and ferry service.
“Many people are hoping for another transportation alternative to visit friends and family on other islands. Farmers and small business owners want a better way to move products to new markets. Sports teams would like an option to compete around the state,” she said.
She’s also pointing out the added attraction the giant ferry offers tourists and its possible use by Civil Defense officials in an emergency.
And, she alludes to the fact the ferry’s fate has drawn attention around the world, threatening the state’s image.
“Resolving the Hawaii Superferry situation is of paramount importance to the future of Hawaii,” she said.
Lingle said a special session would represent “a clear example of the checks and balances” in a democracy where no branch of government — executive, legislative or judicial — has absolute authority.
“Governing is a dynamic and collaborative process involving all three branches, which ultimately results in the best decisions for the people,” she said, noting that a Maui Circuit Court judge and the Hawaii Supreme Court have acted as a check on the executive and legislative branches, and now it’s time to provide “an appropriate and necessary balance to the courts’ interpretation of the law.”
She noted bipartisan support for calling the Legislature together to take up the issue before the session starts in January.
“I appreciate the cooperative approach shown by leaders of the Senate and House,” she said. Both legislative branches are under 80 percent or greater Democratic Party control.
“In a democracy, the will of the people is paramount, and public opinion polls show that residents overwhelmingly favor saving the Superferry service and a special session,” Lingle said.
Responding to environmental concerns, Lingle said she would “absolutely not support an operation if I believed it could irreparably damage our precious and fragile natural resources.”
Lingle, who has become the Superferry’s biggest booster, insists that company officials are committed to “environmental stewardship” and points out the ship is brand new and state-of-the-art.
She points to a stringent screening procedure for vehicles and passengers to spot invasive species and a Department of Agriculture certificate requirement for any plants moving between islands. These steps, she said, compare to the lack of such precautions for interisland airline passengers.
Without mentioning court testimony on the ferry’s danger to endangered humpback whales, Lingle quoted a British Columbia whale expert, Mark Fraker, who testified in the Maui case that the impact by the ferry on whales would be “negligible.”
“While I respect the positions of those who oppose the Superferry, the vast majority of state government and state residents support a special session to allow the Superferry service to operate,” Lingle said.
• The Associated Press contributed to this report.
