[Source: Brenda Sperduti, Arizona Citizens for the Arts] — The sponsors of Senate Bill 1330 have attached the language dissolving the Arts Trust fund to an unrelated bill Senate Bill 1192. The procedure, called a “strike everything” amendment allows the original bill which stalled in the Senate, to gain new life and will be heard in the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
The new bill, SB 1192, would cause a permanent reduction to the Arizona Commission on the Arts (ACA) grants budget of 40% (approx. $1.6 million annually). SB 1192 proposes the transfer of Arts Trust Fund receipts that ACA has received since 1989 to the Department of Mines for safety issues surrounding abandoned mines.
NOW it is time to let every member in the House of Representatives know how strongly you feel about this attempt to decimate arts funding in Arizona. The programs funded by the ACA are crucial to every community in our state and there is no justification for sweeping money from the arts as an answer to the public safety issue of abandoned mines.
Contact your Representative and tell them to vote NO on SB 1192. Use the automated e-mail message AzCA has prepared by clicking here or, better yet, send your own message or make a phone call today! Phone numbers and other contact information can be found by clicking here.
Please share this ACTION ALERT with other art advocates you know.
Downtown Voices Coalition 