A class action lawsuit has been filed against the state alleging a cruise ship initiative passed by voters in 2006 violates tour operators rights. The lawsuit was filed in Sitka Superior Court and claims the new disclosure provision creates unintended consequences for Alaska businesses and irreparably harms small companies.
House Bill 217 and its disclosure provision requires that a cruise ship company disclose the commission it receives, or the percentage of the total sale, when the cruise line promotes a tour. The section of the initiative was designed in part to grant passengers access to tour operators not associated with cruise lines. However, some businesses claim the disclosure would reveal their wholesale costs.
