Guam resolves to modify Jones Act

The effort to exempt non-contiguous areas of the United States, including Hawaii, from portions of the federal Jones Act picked up some steam this week.

In a 12-3 bipartisan vote, the Legislature of Guam on Tuesday approved a resolution in support of modifications to the Act, which restricts shipping between U.S. ports and dates back to 1920.

The push for reform is motivated by the belief that the Act is a factor in the high cost of living not only on Guam but also in Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico’s legislature last year authorized a study of the Jones Act’s economic impact there.

In Hawaii, both Republicans and Democrats have sponsored resolutions calling for Jones Act reform, but so far they’ve been dead in the water.

Connector probe still a good idea

Maybe the Lone Ranger of the state Senate shot from the hip this time, with it still being unclear whether the bullet will hit its mark.

This week Sen. Sam Slom, the only Republican in the upper chamber, reported that the Government Accountability Office took him up on a request for a federal probe of the embattled Hawaii Health Connector. The request: Look into the $204 million spent on the troubled health insurance Web portal.

Not so fast, the GAO said: Investigators haven’t yet decided whether to target the Hawaii agency.

Taxpayers should hope they do. Maybe we’ll learn where the buck stops and all those other bucks, too.