Commentary – Champlain a Great Lake?

Earlier this month (March, 1998) President Clinton signed a bill declaring Vermont’s Lake Champlain as one of the Great Lakes. The move was engineered by Senator Patrick Leahy in order to make Vermont universities eligible for federal research dollars. But the move created a firestorm of ridicule and protest. Last week, the Senate voted unanimously to remove the designation. The House is expected to do the same this week—a move that pleases Great Lakes Commentator Julia King:

Lake Champlain Demoted

Lake Champlain didn’t last long as a Great Lake. Earlier this month, Midwest lawmakers were miffed when Champlain was designated the sixth Great Lake. Last week, the Senate voted to demote the lake and as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Martha Foley reports, this week the House is expected to agree: