State lawmakers from four Great Lakes states said today that it's time presidential candidates paid more attention to the region, and they dangled 141 electoral votes as bait to lure the candidates' interest.
Legislators from Minnesota, Illinois, New York and Michigan said Democrat and Republican presidential candidates should be compelled before Super Tuesday to take a stand to help the region.
More than one-fourth of the party delegates that will be awarded in Tuesday's primaries and caucuses are in Great Lakes states.
And, across the eight Great Lakes states, 141 electoral votes -- one-fourth of those needed to become president -- are up for the taking. The region includes five so-called swing states that experts say could fall to either party in the November presidential election.
That should cause candidates to take notice to the demands of the region's residents -- and those residents want the lakes protected, said Minnesota state Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope.
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Rest said the federal government should provide funds not only to help bolster Great Lakes restoration, but also should encourage the eight states to quickly pass a legally binding compact that would protect the lakes from diversions. So far, only two states -- Minnesota and Illinois -- have approved the compact. The Bush administration has taken no stand on the issue of Great Lakes water diversions.
Jeff Skelding, national director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said it's time to get the candidates on the record pledging to fight against invasive species, sewage overflows, declining fish populations, mercury pollution, habitat loss and potential water diversions to arid areas.
"Will you use your leadership as president to restore the Great Lakes, and ban water diversions?'' Skelding asked.
Skelding noted that, despite proposing a massive Great Lakes restoration collaborative that was announced in Duluth in 2005, the Bush administration and Congress so far have failed to provide money for most of the projects proposed.
