AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The state Senate has approved creating a Texas music museum slated to be built near the state Capitol.
The bill by Austin Democratic Sen. Kirk Watson passed Monday and creates a foundation overseeing the museum. It now heads to the House, where a similar measure by Fort Worth Republican Rep. Charlie Geren is awaiting a floor vote.
Watson said the museum won’t cost Texas money and will actually bring in revenue since the foundation will rent space for it from the state.
A plan revamping the state Capitol grounds, and nearby downtown Austin areas, includes erecting a building for a Texas music museum.
Watson said that, without it, guitars and other memorabilia from Texas legends like Willie Nelson and George Strait might go to museums in Nashville, Tennessee, or elsewhere.