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Delta Queen cruises may return

Remember the Delta Queen? If you are past your teen years, you may well recall the majestic, historic sternwheel riverboat steaming up or down the Ohio River, occasionally tooting its whistle or entertaining those of us on land with a calliope performance.

But if you are younger, you may never have seen the Queen. She has not passed this way since at least 2008.

The Delta Queen is a victim of the federal Safety at Sea Act, a 1966 law intended primarily to keep passengers on ocean-going cruise ships safe. But because the Queen is made of wood, she falls under the law. She has not been permitted to carry passengers on overnight cruises since 2008.

A bill passed by the U.S. Senate earlier this month would exempt the Queen from the Safety at Sea Act. The measure, SB 89, was approved in an 85-12 vote. It awaits action in the House of Representatives.

Lawmakers there should agree to the bill, which includes safety-related requirements for the Queen. The grand old reminder of our heritage should be permitted to cruise again on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.

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