Arts Alliance pushes legislative initiative

The Hawai'i Arts Alliance Action Network has launched an effort to let representatives know where its members stand regarding funding jobs for the arts in the Economic Recovery Package which is picking up speed in Congress. The Alliance urges members to take action through Americans for the Arts, which has been working with Congressional leaders to build support for emergency funding for local and state arts organizations to prevent job losses during this recession.

The House Appropriations Committee in January approved a plan that included $50 million in supplemental grants funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, and a number of other provisions that can benefit the arts.

Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee did not include an arts jobs funding provision in their version of the bill. Advocates still have opportunities to change the final outcome.  Amendments could be made to the Senate bill or the House arts funding provision itself could prevail in the final House-Senate conference bill.

The Alliance asks members to take two minutes to take action and ask your Member of Congress and Senators to support the arts in this legislation.  Americans for the Arts has supplied fresh research and quotes that support this funding.