Last week, the Legislative Budget Conference Committee voted 8-0 to approve an appropriation of $7 million from the general fund for 2014-15 to the California Arts Council (CAC). This is a major increase from previous years’ general fund allocations which have hovered just over $1 million since 2003 when the budget was cut from $32 million. Most of the conferees took this opportunity to speak glowingly about the value of the arts to the community, to children, to adults, and to the economy of our state. Senator Mark Leno also reinforced the need for a dedicated funding stream for the CAC to bring the budget back to $30-40 million in the future. You can view a nine minute video clip of the CAC budget item discussion that took place.
ACTA joins the CAC, Californians for the Arts (CFTA), and California Arts Advocates (CAA) in thanking California’s artists, arts leaders, arts lovers, and our elected officials for rallying behind this effort to restore funding to the arts in our state.
Your help is still needed! The full state budget will now go to a floor vote in both houses of the Legislature and then to the Governor to be signed. In California, the Governor has the power to make “line item” vetoes. This week, we join CFTA and CAA in asking for your help one more time to communicate to the Governor your support for the Legislature’s appropriation to the CAC. Please fax letters supporting the $7 million appropriation to the Governor’s office:
Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 558-3160