News Releases

State Sen. Ed Charbonneau to chair the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus

STATEHOUSE (Sept. 24, 2018) —The Great Lakes Legislative Caucus (GLLC), a nonpartisan group of lawmakers from eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces that focuses on issues and policies concerning the Great Lakes, recently elected State Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) to chair the Caucus during 2019 and 2020.

“Indiana’s water quality is one of my top priorities, and protecting the Great Lakes is extremely important to ensuring clean water is available for the communities of northern Indiana,” Charbonneau said. “I look forward to leading the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus and working to find solutions to issues affecting the Great Lakes.”

Charbonneau will succeed Michigan State Sen. Darwin Booher, whose legislative term will end in December. Illinois State Rep. Robyn Gabel was elected to the position of vice chair. The Caucus also elected members to serve on the GLLC Executive Committee. All 10 jurisdictions are represented on the committee.

Some of the specific objectives include assuring the availability of safe, clean, affordable drinking water; encouraging infrastructure improvements to reduce nutrient runoff, including the installation of green infrastructure; and supporting the sustainable economic development of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence coastal communities, including the restoration and preservation of habitat.

Through its mix of programming, advocacy and other activities, the Caucus provides a forum for the regional exchange of ideas and information on key issues that impact the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. Membership is open to all state and provincial legislators in the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces that share the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin.

In recent years, the Caucus pushed for federal funding of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, an improved Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and expedited timeline for a federal study on how to keep Asian carp from entering the lakes via the Chicago Area Waterway System. GLLC members were also at the forefront of a region-wide push to ban plastic microbeads in personal care products at the state and provincial level.

For more information about the Caucus contact Lisa Janairo at ljanairo@csg.org or 920-458-5910 or visit GreatLakesLegislators.org.

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For a high-resolution photo of Charbonneau, click here