FIGHTING BACK: PROTECTING WOMEN’S SPORTS & ENDING THE JONES ACT’S STRANGLEHOLD ON HAWAII AND ALASKA

On today’s episode of Ladies of Another View, the panel tackled two major policy issues affecting Americans—protecting fairness in women’s sports and fighting back against a century-old law driving up costs in Hawaii and Alaska. Special guests Donna Jackson, a policy analyst with CFACT, and Joshua Polk, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, joined the discussion to break down these critical topics.
Donna Jackson didn’t hold back as she addressed the growing pushback against allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports. She highlighted the ongoing battle surrounding the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, calling out the unfair advantage male athletes have when competing against women. Jackson warned that efforts to redefine gender are not only erasing women’s hard-fought gains in sports but also threatening the very foundation of Women’s History Month. She also touched on a broader political shift, suggesting that more minorities may be walking away from the Democratic Party as cultural debates like these reveal stark policy differences.
Switching gears, attorney Joshua Polk exposed a little-known but hugely consequential law—The Jones Act. This outdated maritime law requires all shipping between U.S. ports to use American-built, owned, and crewed vessels. While that might sound patriotic, Polk explained that the law has crippled competition, reduced the number of cargo ships, and driven up costs for businesses and consumers, especially in Hawaii and Alaska. The impact? Everyday necessities, from food to fuel, are significantly more expensive in these states than on the mainland. But there’s a new challenge to the law—Kōloa Rum Company has filed a lawsuit arguing that The Jones Act violates the Constitution’s Port Preference Clause. If successful, the lawsuit could be a game-changer, reducing shipping costs and breaking the stranglehold this law has had for over 100 years.
As always, Ladies of Another View brought sharp insight and bold discussion to the issues that matter most, shining a light on government overreach and policies that put everyday Americans at a disadvantage.