Former Wisconsin Gov. Doyle among guest speakers for Marquette Law School conference on the Great Lakes Compact

September 27, 2018

MILWAUKEE — Former Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and veteran journalist and author Peter Annin will be among the featured speakers during a half-day conference, "Evaluating the Great Lakes Compact on Its Tenth Anniversary," presented by the Marquette Law School Water Law and Policy Initiative on Tuesday, Oct. 2, beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Lubar Center at Eckstein Hall.

On Oct. 3, 2008, President George W. Bush signed the Great Lakes Compact into law. Since then, southeastern Wisconsin has proved to be a hotbed for controversy involving exceptions to the compact's general ban on diversions of water from the Great Lakes basin. In September 2017, the Compact Council began the process of drafting updates to the procedures, guidance and rules used to implement the compact. Ten years after the compact became law, this event will evaluate how successful the compact has been to date, explore current controversies and proposed revisions to the compact and consider what may be in store in the second decade. The conference is another in a series of events presented by Marquette Law School's Water Law and Policy Initiative.

Annin's appearance at the conference coincides with the release of a significantly updated second edition of his book, "The Great Lakes Water Wars," which furthers his research on the science, politics and history of the Great Lakes Compact, and includes new chapters on the tensions created by Great Lakes water diversions sought to serve communities such as Waukesha and businesses such as Foxconn. Other conference participants include:

  • Mike Gousha, Distinguished Fellow in Law and Public Policy, Marquette University Law School
  • Shaili Pfeiffer, Natural Resource Staff Specialist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  • David Strifling, Director, Water Law and Policy Initiative, Marquette University Law School
  • David Ullrich, Advisor and former Executive Director, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative

Through public programming such as the Marquette Law School Poll, debates featuring candidates in significant political races, Gousha's "On the Issues" conversations with newsmakers, public lectures by leading scholars and conferences on significant issues of public importance, the Law School serves as the region's leading venue for serious civil discourse about law and public policy matters.

The event is open to members of the general public; registration is required and is available online. Members of the media who are interested in attending should contact Chris Jenkins in the Office of Marketing and Communication.