Shortly after the gavel fell at the Capitol and state lawmakers convened the 2008 legislative session this week, Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue unveiled his new fiscal year budget with a welcome surprise for Milledgeville.

The governor’s 2009 spending plan that begins July 1 includes a whopping $27.67 million to expand the Milledgeville campuses of Georgia Military College and Central Georgia Technical College.

The budget, which is now before the House Appropriations Committee before it heads to the upper chamber for debate, earmarks $10 million for a new high school building at Georgia Military College and $17.67 million for a new health sciences building at Central Georgia Technical College.

Funding for Georgia Military College made its way into the state’s 2008 budget during last year’s legislative session, but Perdue used his line-item veto power to cut funding for the high school, which put the project behind and raised ire among local officials.

We applaud the governor for reversing course and including money this year for two very important and growing schools. Georgia Military College is a fine institution that through the years has molded thousands of young men and women into well-rounded leaders. Central Georgia Technical College is another mid-state asset that has stood as a beacon of opportunity for all ages to earn a college education.

The $10 million for GMC’s high school would come from bond dollars.

Georgia Military College already received $1.3 million for the planning phase of its new prep high school, and needs about $10 million more to complete the projected $21.5 million project.

And if approved, Central Georgia Technical College’s Milledgeville expansion could spell a 72,000-square-foot, three-story building that would double the size of its present campus. The new building would enable the technical college to accept about 450 more students, increasing its enrollment from 750 to between 900 to 1,000 students.

The health sciences building would allow for expanded and possible new programs such as mental health technician, paramedic technology, gerontology and others.

Rest assured, Milledgeville’s delegation has a watchful eye on the governor’s budget, and our two legislators have vowed to do all they can to bring the money home for the two colleges.

Sate Rep. Bobby Parham, D-Milledgeville, said although there will be many changes to the budget, he felt sure both college expansions will get a final nod.

State Sen. Johnny Grant, R-Milledgeville, said once Perdue’s budget works its way to the Senate, he’d lobby aggressively to keep the recommendations for the two colleges in tact.

“It’s great news for Milledgeville and Baldwin County to have funding for both of these projects being recommended by the governor,” Grant said. “I look forward to seeing these projects to completion.”

We couldn’t agree more. Now let’s hope the rest of our lawmakers in Atlanta feel the same way.