FILE - In this, May 6, 2015 file photo, The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island is seen in a photo.

MACKINAC ISLAND — A new effort to combat the negative effects of monopoly control over public ferry service to Mackinac Island, the Fair Access to Mackinac Island Coalition, has begun a public education effort in support of the City of Mackinac Island’s legal battle to protect its regulatory authority over pricing and the Michigan legislature’s passage of SB 304.

The coalition is a project of the Mackinac Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, focused on the ongoing debate over the ferry issue.

Fair Access to Mackinac Island Coalition spokesperson John Sellek says that ferry service is fully open for business this season but the fight to protect the City of Mackinac Island’s authority to advocate for travelers, residents, and small businesses is one of the most important public policy debates in the island’s history.

“Mackinac Island is Michigan’s — and America’s — crown jewel. Yet, a single out-of-state firm holding monopoly control over public access to the island means that tourists and residents may be priced out of visiting, putting every worker and small business on Mackinac Island at risk. Worse yet, threatened disruptions to ferry service next year are an existential threat to a place that millions of Michiganders and Americans hold dear,” Sellek said.

“That is why the Fair Access to Mackinac Island Coalition is supporting the city’s legal battle to use its authority to protect consumers and small businesses. Additionally, we strongly encourage Gov. Whitmer to sign SB 304 as soon as possible, to further protect Mackinac Island, its restaurants, shops, hotels, visitors, and more.”