Minnesota took the lead in protecting the Great Lakes when it became the first to ratify the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, but Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin and Ohio are looking to derail the effort.

The compact establishes more stringent rules for withdrawal or diversion of water
from the basin and requires the eight Great Lakes states to create water conservation programs. In order for the compact to take effect all eight states must adopt the same language and then it must be ratified by Congress. To date, Minnesota and Illinois are the only two states to have signed the compact while bills in New York and Indiana await signatures from their respective governors. Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania all have legislation pending.

Progress is now threatened as Republicans Bill Harris, president of the Ohio Senate, and Michael Huebsch, speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly called for changes to the compact, a move which supporters say may kill the compact entirely.

Currently, the compact allows for the removal of water outside of the basin to an adjacent county but gives veto power to the eight states over any such plan. The proposed changes would remove that veto authority. Any changes to the compact would require all states reopen negotiations and restart the process.