There are arguments to be had about where the money is coming from — a $5-per-night fee on hotel stays could hurt Athens, according to state Rep. Regina Quick, R-Athens — but a good thing about the transportation bill passed by state legislators this year is that it will give lawmakers some oversight over the state Department of Transportation, state Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, told a Monday meeting of the Athens-Clarke County Republican Party.

Cowsert said in his tenure in the statehouse, he’s been particularly frustrated by two entities, the Georgia DOT and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, because the legislature does not have direct influence over them.

Read more