October 2025

Caucus passes resolutions on PFAS and microplastics

State and provincial legislators gathered in South Bend, Ind., in September for the two-day Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus (GLLC) Annual Meeting. Attendees heard updates on policy across the basin, learned about the South Bend smart sewer system and St. Joseph River Basin Commission, and voted on policy resolutions.

The membership approved two resolutions on PFAS and plastic, including encouraging the designation of microplastics as a Chemical of Mutual Concern under the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The legislators also approved a shared stewardship acknowledgement proposed by the Indigenous Engagement Committee.

A four-member team of Indiana legislators served as hosts of the 2025 GLLC Meeting: Sen. Ed Charbonneau and Reps. David Abbott, Maureen Bauer, and Carolyn Jackson.

The GLLC meets in person once a year. It also holds policy-focused institutes for legislators, tracks state and federal bills on water and Great Lakes policy, holds web-based meetings, and gives members the chance to serve as a voice for the region on federal Great Lakes policy. The 2026 Annual Meeting will be on September 28-29 in Marquette, Mich.

Membership is free and open to all legislators representing the Great Lakes’ eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. If you are interested in getting involved in the caucus, including its work on PFAS, plastic and data centers, please contact Great Lakes program director Jess Lienhardt.

Thank you to our meeting supporters!

Learn about water uses in the Great Lakes Region

Hear about the Alliance for the Great Lakes new report on emerging water uses, such as data centers, agriculture, and critical minerals mining. There will also be updates from the GLLC Water Use Committee on legislative efforts across the basin.

The GLLC Water Use Committee has been meeting for the past year to discuss state and provincial policies addressing emerging large water users, such as data centers, and to coordinate education opportunities for GLLC members.

The GLLC is excited to announce a new funding partnership with the Fred & Barbara Erb Family Foundation. Earlier this month, the foundation awarded a three-year grant to the Midwestern Office of The Council of State Governments — which provides staff support to the caucus — that will advance the ability of GLLC members to collaborate and innovate on basinwide policy.

This grant recognizes the key leadership role that state and provincial legislators play in Great Lakes stewardship. It is part of a Erb Family Foundation strategy that prioritizes protecting the Great Lakes, sustaining democracy, enriching the cultural landscape, and honoring the legacy of Fred and Barbara Erb. CSG Midwest and the GLLC appreciate the opportunity to work again with the Erb Foundation in support of the region’s legislators and their work on Great Lakes policy.

More information about the Erb Family Foundation's announcement.

Great Lakes State and Provincial Legislative Tracker

Take a look at the searchable, sortable GLLC State and Provincial Legislative Tracker for the latest legislative activity.