Council supports Delta Queen

Cincinnati City Council has passed unanimously a resolution supporting continued overnight excursions by the Delta Queen.

The resolution, which was proposed by Councilmember Leslie Ghiz, expresses the support of Council for House Resolution 3852 (H.R. 3852), which would grant the steamboat an exemption from the Safety at Sea Act.

The Safety at Sea Act bars vessels with wooden superstructures - like the Delta Queen - from allowing passengers to sleep aboard overnight.

The Delta Queen's exemption to the act is part of the Coast Guard funding bill, which expires November 2008.

U.S. Representative Steve Chabot introduced H.R. 3852 as a stand-alone bill due to inaction on the new Coast Guard funding bill, which has been blocked from coming to a vote in either house.

Passage of Chabot's bill would extend the Delta Queen's exemption until 2018.

The new Coast Guard funding bill does not include an exemption.

Previous reading on BC:
Help save the Delta Queen today (10/26/07)
Help save the Delta Queen! (8/17/07)