A Historic Victory for the Great Lakes! Wisconsin Legislature Applauded for Passing the Great Lakes Compact

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 14, 2008

Contact: Anne Sayers (608) 661-0845, cell: (608) 658-0186, anne@conservationvoters.org

A Historic Victory for the Great Lakes!

Wisconsin Legislature Applauded for Passing the Great Lakes Compact

Madison- Today, Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters thanked the Wisconsin state

legislators responsible for passing the long-awaited Great Lakes Compact. The Great Lakes

Compact is an agreement between eight states and two Canadian provinces to prevent the diversion of Great Lakes water outside the region with only limited exceptions. The Compact

passed the Senate and Assembly almost unanimously as April 2008 Special Session Senate Bill 1.

Since the signing of the Compact on December 13, 2005, Wisconsin citizens have

enthusiastically advocated for The Strong Compact for a Strong Wisconsin. Activities

advocating for The Strong Compact for a Strong Wisconsin included:

Selecting it as one of the just four Conservation Priorities for the 2007-2008 legislative session by a coalition of more than 50 organizations;

• Support by more than 40 local elected officials and 50 organizations;

• With less than 24 hours notice, over 150 people showed up in support of the Strong Compact at the public hearing in Kenosha in February;

• Over the course of two Conservation Lobby Days, more than 700 Wisconsin citizens      came to Madison to lobby their legislators; and

• Thousands of citizen comments (calls, emails, postcards, letters) poured into the Capitol over the last six months.

The passage of the Great Lakes Compact is the result of a broad, bi-partisan effort. Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters would like to specially thank Senators Miller, Cowles, Lehman,

and Jauch, Representatives Mason and Richards, Governor Doyle, and the incredible staff from each of their offices.

“Today truly is a historic day. At a time when other states and countries are increasingly looking to our Great Lakes to solve their own water shortages, Wisconsin legislators refused to go home before making sure our water was protected,” said Anne Sayers, Program Director for the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters. “The passage of the Great Lakes Compact is a win from every angle…for our lakes, our jobs, our health, our recreational opportunities, and our democracy. When the citizens spoke, Wisconsin legislators listened. It’s a day to celebrate,” Sayers concluded. The Great Lakes Compact must still pass the legislatures of Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania before heading to Congress.

Voting for the Compact were Senators Breske, Carpenter, Coggs, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, Fitzgerald, Grothman, Hansen, Harsdorf, Jauch, Kanavas, Kapanke, Kedzie,

Kreitlow, Lasee, Lassa, Lehman, Leibham, Miller, Olsen, Plale, Risser, Robson, Roessler,

Schultz, Sullivan, Taylor, Vinehout, Wirch and Representatives Ballweg, Benedict, Berceau,

Bies, Black, Boyle, Colon, Cullen, Davis, Fitzgerald, Friske, Garthwaite, Gottlieb, Grigsby,

Gronemus, Gunderson, Hahn, Hebl, Hilgenberg, Hines, Hintz, Hixson, Honadel, Hraychuck,

Hubler, Huebsch, Jeskewitz, Jorgensen, Kaufert, Kerkman, Kessler, Kestell, Kleefisch, Kramer,

Kreuser, Krusick, Lasee, LeMahieu, Lothian, Mason, Meyer, Molepkse, Montgomery, Moulton,

Mursau, Murtha, Musser, Nass, Nelson, Nerison, Newcomer, Nygren, A. Ott, J. Ott, Owens,

Parisi, Petersen, Petrowski, Pocan, Pope-Roberts, Pridemore, Rhoades, Richards, Schneider,

Seidel, Sheridan, Sherman, Shilling, Sinicki, Smith, Soletski, Staskunas, Steinbrink, Stone,

Strachota, Suder, Tauchen, Toles, Townsend, Travis, Turner, Van Akkeren, Van Roy, Vos,

Vruwink, Vukmir, Wasserman, Wieckert, A.Williams, M. Williams, Wood, Young, Zepnick,

Zipperer, and Ziegelbauer.

Established in 2002, the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan

organization dedicated to electing conservation leaders, holding decision makers accountable

and encouraging lawmakers to champion conservation policies that effectively protect

Wisconsin's public health and natural resources.