KOLKHORST TOUTS SECURED FUNDING FOR STAR OF THE REPUBLIC MUSEUM
State Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) is celebrating a directive included in the state’s budget that will garner additional funding for improvements for the Star of the Republic Museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos.
Kolkhorst, a senior member of the Finance Committee and a budget conferee, introduced and authored Budget Rider 30 in the Texas Historical Commission’s bill pattern during the 86th Legislature. The rider appropriates $8 million in the state’s $250 billion budget for improvements and renovations at the museum.
In addition to the appropriation, Kolkhorst authored and passed Senate Bill 2309 with State Representative Ben Leman (R-Anderson). Kolkhorst said the bill will transfer the jurisdiction and maintenance of the museum from Blinn College to the Texas Historical Commission (THC), while allowing Blinn to remain the owner of the museum and its artifacts.
State officials with the THC will oversee the improvements with local input.
Blinn College provided a letter of support and also testified in favor of SB 2309 during the committee process. Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law earlier this month. It will become effective September 1st.
Kolkhorst said she is excited about the additional funding and grateful for the help she has received in this endeavor. She said she has been “laying the groundwork” for years to invest substantially in Washington-on-the-Brazos.
THC Executive Director Mark Wolfe said the museum is already a popular tourism destination, and this appropriation will ensure it becomes “one of the top attractions in the region”.
The 200-plus acre Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park, along with five other state parks, will be transferred from Texas Parks and Wildlife to the THC under House Bill 1422, the THC’s Sunset Legislation.
Kolkhorst said with the legislature’s unanimous support to transfer these state historic sites to the THC, it was “a natural progression” to transfer operation of the museum and put it under one agency. She said the history of the state and this historic region “must be shared by future generations”.