Bill Aims to Create Great Lakes Authority

Several Great Lakes representatives have introduced the Great Lakes Authority Act to establish and fund the Great Lakes Authority, which “would serve as a federal entity dedicated exclusively to advancing solutions to the challenges faced by the eight states of Great Lakes region – Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.”

While the federal government has an array of commissions, authorities and bureaus responsible for guiding long-term development and environmental conservation in other regions, the Great Lakes region lacks such support. The proposed Great Lakes Authority would be able to: Promote economic development and job creation; restore and protect the Great Lakes; foster innovation to strengthen and expand domestic manufacturing and promote cleaner and more sustainable power production; and establish and administer funding mechanisms to finance clean energy, green infrastructure, water infrastructure and broadband infrastructure projects.

“The Great Lakes region is the industrial workhorse that powers America,” says Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “But after decades of bad trade deals that outsourced living-wage jobs and fomented deindustrialization – the need for a robust new partnership that catalyzes regional revitalization is abundantly clear. By investing in workforce development, innovative energy technologies and manufacturing processes, and responsible stewardship of our precious Great Lakes ecosystem – the Great Lakes Authority will unleash the Heartland’s full potential for this 21st century.”