(Madison, WI) Today Senator André Jacque (R – De Pere) announced that he is introducing
three pieces of legislation written in conjunction with the Legislative Water Quality Taskforce.
“Clean water and nutrient management are essential to the long-term health of Wisconsin and the entire Great Lakes region. I’m proud to take a leading role in keeping the water
we drink clean with this legislation,” Senator Jacque said.
The first bipartisan proposal includes the creation of the Office of Water Quality at the Public Service Commission and accountability measures for the effectiveness of water quality efforts. Another recommendation includes an expansion of the Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (POWTS) grant program, which helps families repair their wastewater treatment systems. A third bill requires a public comment period for the regulation of water contaminants to allow for greater public input. Sen. Jacque is also co-author of proposals to expand assistance to farmers for conservation efforts and eliminate unfunded mandates within county land and water conservation departments.
In addition to the introduction of the water quality legislation, Senator Jacque announced his recent unanimous election as the chair of the nonpartisan Great Lakes-St. Lawrence
Legislative Caucus (GLLC) Nutrient Management Task Force, a bi-national coalition through the Council of State Governments midwestern office with members from eight states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes region assisting implementation of the Great Lakes Compact. Sen. Jacque is a long-time member of the GLLC and also serves as an ex-officio member of its executive committee. Jacque previously served on the GLLC’s Birkholz Institute Steering Committee and was named as one of its inaugural fellows.
“My plan in leading the task force is to prioritize the shared resource that is the Great Lakes through the discovery of evidence-based approaches and implementation of best practices,” said Sen. Jacque.
“Sen. Jacque has done a great job in leading the taskforce and I think all of our Great Lakes states will benefit from the work of this initiative,” added Minnesota State Senator Ann Rest (DFL- New Hope), GLLC Executive Committee member and past chair.
Sen. André Jacque represents Northeast Wisconsin’s First Senate District, consisting of Door and Kewaunee Counties and portions of Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc, and Outagamie counties.
