In Reversal Of A Year Ago, House And Senate Conference Committee Inserts Funding For Bogart Library In State Budget

A year ago the budget conference committee of the Georgia House and Senate stripped the funding for the Bogart Library renovation and expansion from the final state budget, even though the project had been highly ranked by the state Board of Regents and approved by both the House and the Senate.

This year the conference committee inserted $1.8 million for the Bogart Library in the budget even though neither the House nor the Senate had included the monies in the budgets they had passed.

Oconee County's Sen. Bill Cowsert, Senate majority leader, was a member of the budget conference committee both years and acquiesced to the cut last year and became the project’s advocate this time around.

The final budget, House Bill 751, was approved overwhelmingly by both bodies on Tuesday and sent to Governor Deal for his signature.

For more on the story, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Sen. Bill Cowsert.