ATLANTA – The Georgia Legislature on Wednesday passed Gov. Sonny Perdue’s plan Wednesday that will encourage conservation and renewal of state water supplies.
“Both the House and Senate took major steps today towards our goal of creating a true culture of conservation in Georgia,” said Gov. Perdue in a media release.
The plan was based on suggestions from Gov. Perdue’s Water Contingency Task Force and would help Georgia prepare for more droughts and the possible loss of water from Lake Lanier, Gov. Perdue said at an earlier Capitol press conference.
The state is appealing a federal judge’s ruling that Georgia must stop using Lake Lanier water, a decision that came out of a longstanding lawsuit between Georgia, Florida and Alabama.
Gov. Perdue released two identical bills in both the House and Senate, whose sponsors made sure the bills retained identical changes as they went through committees.
Both bills went before the House and Senate floor Wednesday, passing unanimously in the Senate and by a 166-5 vote in the House. All North Georgia lawmakers voted for the bill.
See Thursday’s Times Free Press for complete coverage.