Numerous Great Lakes-related measures have been introduced, advanced or signed into law in the region’s state capitols over the past few months. Here are a few of the bills and resolutions being followed through the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus' state legislative tracker.

Stateline Midwest ~ June 2013

As the year began in Michigan, a new legislative caucus was emerging inside the Capitol with at least one clear priority for 2013 — improve the condition of the state’s recreational and commercial harbors.

Stateline Midwest ~ June 2013

The Midwest’s carbon footprint got smaller over the past decade, a period of time in which the region’s mix of sources for electric power also changed significantly.

Modeling its program after the World Bank, this week Massachusetts became the first state in the country to issue "green" municipal bonds.The tax-exempt bonds will be part of a $1.1 billion general-obligation issue that also includes $640.3 million for refunding debt.

The United States uses 410 billion gallons of water everyday. Domestic usage in Western states is much higher than in non-Western states at 128.9 gallons per person per day compared to the national average of 98 gallons per person per day.

A revealing piece was published last week in the Wall Street Journal documenting an uptick in clear cutting and logging activity in the US tied directly and indirectly to meeting the European Commission's greenhouse gas reduction requirement and 20 percent renewable energy mandate.

Yesterday, the Obama Administration announced a new rule from the Department of Interior to regulate the process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on federal lands. The relaunch of the rule was made after Interior pulled back its original proposal in 2012 after receiving 177,000 public comments. According to an Interior press release, the updated draft proposal will be subject to a new 30-day public comment period on the notice of proposed rulemaking. 

Tesla Motors, the makers of high-end electric vehicles, is expected to post its first ever profit due in large part to an environmental credit program managed by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) under the Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate. Under the regulation, 15 percent of all new car sales in California must come from vehicles classified as "zero emission" by 2025. According to Wall Street analysts, the ARB's credit program could be worth up to $250 million for Tesla.