As you know, HB1072 passed through the Senate Taxation Committee yesterday by a vote of 7-2. You can listen to the meeting online:
http://www.sdpb.org/statehouse/2009/sta.aspx?CommitteeCode=STA
The bill will go to the full Senate Monday.
Taxation committee:
Voting no were Sen. Ryan Maher and Sen. Gordon Howie.
Voting yes over their own objections but in support of the arts were Sen. Sandy Jerstad and Sen. Jim Peterson .
Sen. Tom Nelson presented the amendment; Sen. Stan Adelstein testified in favor; Sen. Pam Merchant commented in support; Sen. Tom Hansen asked for clarifications as the chair; Sen. Art Fryslie did not comment but voted in favor.
Please contact your Senators and express your brief support of HB1072. Remember to include your location when commenting.
More information will be included with CANmail tomorrow.
Pat Boyd
Executive Director
South Dakotans for the Arts
Advancing the Arts through service, education & advocacy
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Advocacy Update
Here is the list of votes on HB1229 yesterday. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE that no one spoke against the reinstatement of funds for the SDAC – either during the debate on the floor or at any time leading up to or following the vote. Many spoke in favor, and voted in favor largely because of the SDAC funding. We were caught in the political fray when the tourism tax went down. We were very close to the 2/3 needed to pass the bill (44 yes – only 3 short). If you contact your representative, thank them for their continued support – whichever way they voted – and encourage them to work on a solution. The measure will probably come back to them in some form—we have no enemies, so let’s not make any. http://legis.state.sd.us/who/index.aspx
Our next advocacy is coming right up in the Senate. Timetable and structure will develop quickly, and we will keep you posted.
Many thanks for your work, and on we go,
Pat
Pat Boyd
Executive Director
South Dakotans for the Arts
605.722.1467
605.722.1473 fax
www.sdarts.org
Our next advocacy is coming right up in the Senate. Timetable and structure will develop quickly, and we will keep you posted.
Many thanks for your work, and on we go,
Pat
Pat Boyd
Executive Director
South Dakotans for the Arts
605.722.1467
605.722.1473 fax
www.sdarts.org
Friday, February 20, 2009
ADVOCACY ALERT-HB1229
In his State of the Arts address at the 2009 Governor's Awards in the Arts, Governor Michael Rounds announced that he has instructed his staff to work with the Legislature to restore funding for the Office of Arts for fiscal year 2010.
Your advocacy is working! Governor Rounds' remarks with regard to reinstatement of funding for the Office of Arts reflects the outpouring of support and advocacy from all over the state, as well as his own frequently stated support of arts programs. The revised budget that would eliminate all state funding for the state arts agency stunned South Dakota's arts community. We have been challenged to make the case for the arts as essential partners in economic recovery and development, critical to our quality of life and to the education of our children. It appears that we are making that case both nationally, because it is included in the Economic Recovery Act, and now here in South Dakota, where the Governor and the Legislature are working to reinstate arts funding. We now have reason to be more optimistic as the legislative session continues.
Restoration efforts are already underway - Your advocacy is needed to make sure we are successful!
Message is: HB1229 This bill as amended would restore full funding for the South Dakota Arts Council. It passed as amended in the House Taxation Committee by a vote of 15-0. It now goes to the full House, possibly as early as Monday, February 23rd. HB1229 Fact Sheet
Action: Contact your Representatives in the House TODAY with a brief message "Support HB1229 - Restore funding for the South Dakota Arts Council" make sure to add your town to your signature.
http://legis.state.sd.us/who/index.aspx
Pat Boyd
Executive Director
South Dakotans for the Arts
605.722.1467
605.722.1473 fax
www.sdarts.org
Advancing the Arts through service, education & advocacy
Your advocacy is working! Governor Rounds' remarks with regard to reinstatement of funding for the Office of Arts reflects the outpouring of support and advocacy from all over the state, as well as his own frequently stated support of arts programs. The revised budget that would eliminate all state funding for the state arts agency stunned South Dakota's arts community. We have been challenged to make the case for the arts as essential partners in economic recovery and development, critical to our quality of life and to the education of our children. It appears that we are making that case both nationally, because it is included in the Economic Recovery Act, and now here in South Dakota, where the Governor and the Legislature are working to reinstate arts funding. We now have reason to be more optimistic as the legislative session continues.
Restoration efforts are already underway - Your advocacy is needed to make sure we are successful!
Message is: HB1229 This bill as amended would restore full funding for the South Dakota Arts Council. It passed as amended in the House Taxation Committee by a vote of 15-0. It now goes to the full House, possibly as early as Monday, February 23rd. HB1229 Fact Sheet
Action: Contact your Representatives in the House TODAY with a brief message "Support HB1229 - Restore funding for the South Dakota Arts Council" make sure to add your town to your signature.
http://legis.state.sd.us/who/index.aspx
Pat Boyd
Executive Director
South Dakotans for the Arts
605.722.1467
605.722.1473 fax
www.sdarts.org
Advancing the Arts through service, education & advocacy
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Rapid City Journal Op Ed Piece by Pat Boyd
Pat Boyd
Executive Director
South Dakotans for the Arts
(Op Ed piece in RC Journal 2/4/2009)
Put simply, we believe Governor Rounds has made a mistake. His revised budget would cut all state funding to the Office of Arts. This would eliminate our state arts agency, the Office of Arts/South Dakota Arts Council, which has only two sources of support, state and federal.
Without a state agency and investment of state funds, South Dakota would be ineligible to receive its annual appropriation, $746,000 for 2010, from the National Endowment for the Arts, our federal arts agency. The economic stimulus package that passed in the House and is headed for the US Senate includes an increase in funding for the National Endowment for the arts that would increase South Dakota’s 2010 appropriation to over $900,000. With no state funding for its state agency, South Dakota would receive $0.
Local arts grants totaling $1.1 million and annually funding 8,000 events, across every legislative district in South Dakota, would be eliminated, beginning July 1, 2009. These grants are awarded to 530 local arts organizations and other non-profit arts programs, schools, artists and units of government.
These grants are matched on the local level by 14:1, generating over $14 million annually in communities all across South Dakota. These grants are critical to the state’s large and small arts organizations, providing matching funds for other grants and contributions. Some form of financial support for more than 18,000 professional and amateur artists would be impacted.
The loss of our state arts agency would reduce the state’s rankings for federal and private grant organizations who rate quality of life, educational opportunities, economic development, cultural tourism, and overall attractiveness to businesses, visitors, and citizens.
The Artists in Schools & Communities Program will end. This program has been active for 35 years. Annually, 26 artists travel to 162 schools for a total of 231 weeks, educating 35,000 young people in South Dakota. The Touring Arts Program will end. 45 endorsed performing and visual arts groups provide 255 engagements, and reach an audience of 335,000 annually, primarily in rural areas. State funding for the arts in 2009 was $636,000, an investment of 86 cents from each state resident.
South Dakota is exemplary among state arts agencies (50), and received highest ratings from the National Endowment for the Arts on its grant application for 2010. Nevertheless, without substantial reinstatement of state funds, we will not receive this federal funding. The Office of Arts/ South Dakota Arts Council is a part of the Department of Tourism and State Development. It is a supporting piece of the infrastructure of state government. State funding of this office is an investment with a significant return for the people of South Dakota.
Once dismantled, this basic supporting structure for the arts in our schools and communities would take years to rebuild. A decision to eliminate the South Dakota Arts Council would be a tragic waste of resources and years of development of a delivery system providing equal access to education and opportunity in the arts, a model for rural America. We are supposed to be making the most of our investments, not squandering our resources. This budget cuts the fabric of our communities. It is a mistake we can’t let the Legislature make.
Executive Director
South Dakotans for the Arts
(Op Ed piece in RC Journal 2/4/2009)
Put simply, we believe Governor Rounds has made a mistake. His revised budget would cut all state funding to the Office of Arts. This would eliminate our state arts agency, the Office of Arts/South Dakota Arts Council, which has only two sources of support, state and federal.
Without a state agency and investment of state funds, South Dakota would be ineligible to receive its annual appropriation, $746,000 for 2010, from the National Endowment for the Arts, our federal arts agency. The economic stimulus package that passed in the House and is headed for the US Senate includes an increase in funding for the National Endowment for the arts that would increase South Dakota’s 2010 appropriation to over $900,000. With no state funding for its state agency, South Dakota would receive $0.
Local arts grants totaling $1.1 million and annually funding 8,000 events, across every legislative district in South Dakota, would be eliminated, beginning July 1, 2009. These grants are awarded to 530 local arts organizations and other non-profit arts programs, schools, artists and units of government.
These grants are matched on the local level by 14:1, generating over $14 million annually in communities all across South Dakota. These grants are critical to the state’s large and small arts organizations, providing matching funds for other grants and contributions. Some form of financial support for more than 18,000 professional and amateur artists would be impacted.
The loss of our state arts agency would reduce the state’s rankings for federal and private grant organizations who rate quality of life, educational opportunities, economic development, cultural tourism, and overall attractiveness to businesses, visitors, and citizens.
The Artists in Schools & Communities Program will end. This program has been active for 35 years. Annually, 26 artists travel to 162 schools for a total of 231 weeks, educating 35,000 young people in South Dakota. The Touring Arts Program will end. 45 endorsed performing and visual arts groups provide 255 engagements, and reach an audience of 335,000 annually, primarily in rural areas. State funding for the arts in 2009 was $636,000, an investment of 86 cents from each state resident.
South Dakota is exemplary among state arts agencies (50), and received highest ratings from the National Endowment for the Arts on its grant application for 2010. Nevertheless, without substantial reinstatement of state funds, we will not receive this federal funding. The Office of Arts/ South Dakota Arts Council is a part of the Department of Tourism and State Development. It is a supporting piece of the infrastructure of state government. State funding of this office is an investment with a significant return for the people of South Dakota.
Once dismantled, this basic supporting structure for the arts in our schools and communities would take years to rebuild. A decision to eliminate the South Dakota Arts Council would be a tragic waste of resources and years of development of a delivery system providing equal access to education and opportunity in the arts, a model for rural America. We are supposed to be making the most of our investments, not squandering our resources. This budget cuts the fabric of our communities. It is a mistake we can’t let the Legislature make.
Monday, February 2, 2009
GOVERNOR SAYS HE IS RECEIVING SUPPORT FOR CUTS
SOUTH DAKOTANS FOR THE ARTS ADVOCACY ALERT!
GOVERNOR SAYS HE IS RECEIVING SUPPORT FOR CUTS
Reports in media statewide today quote Governor Rounds saying that many South Dakotans have told him they support his proposed cuts, and he encourages lawmakers to “support the whole package.”
See the story in the Rapid City Journal:
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/02/02/ap-state-sd/d963et0o0.txt
Let’s be sure to keep Governor Rounds in the loop in our advocacy to save the South Dakota Arts Council.
TODAY’S ACTION: Let the Governor hear from you!
http://www.state.sd.us/Governor/
• Tell him what the elimination of the South Dakota Arts Council would mean to you, your children and your community.
• Remind him that zeroing out state funding for the Office of Arts will cost the state far more than it saves, both in federal funds and in local economic impact.
• Remind him that the arts play a major role in his 2010 Initiative, his vision for South Dakota’s economic and cultural development.
• Let him know that the elimination of the Office of Arts is an unacceptable outcome of “the whole package.”
For more information contact: South Dakotans for the Arts www.sdarts.org
Email: soda@rushmore.com Phone: (605) 722-1467
GOVERNOR SAYS HE IS RECEIVING SUPPORT FOR CUTS
Reports in media statewide today quote Governor Rounds saying that many South Dakotans have told him they support his proposed cuts, and he encourages lawmakers to “support the whole package.”
See the story in the Rapid City Journal:
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/02/02/ap-state-sd/d963et0o0.txt
Let’s be sure to keep Governor Rounds in the loop in our advocacy to save the South Dakota Arts Council.
TODAY’S ACTION: Let the Governor hear from you!
http://www.state.sd.us/Governor/
• Tell him what the elimination of the South Dakota Arts Council would mean to you, your children and your community.
• Remind him that zeroing out state funding for the Office of Arts will cost the state far more than it saves, both in federal funds and in local economic impact.
• Remind him that the arts play a major role in his 2010 Initiative, his vision for South Dakota’s economic and cultural development.
• Let him know that the elimination of the Office of Arts is an unacceptable outcome of “the whole package.”
For more information contact: South Dakotans for the Arts www.sdarts.org
Email: soda@rushmore.com Phone: (605) 722-1467
Friday, January 30, 2009
National Governors Association Best Practice = "Support the arts"
Strengthening Rural Economies through the Arts
http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0901ARTSANDECONOMY.PDF
http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0901ARTSANDECONOMY.PDF
In seeking a competitive edge, several states are incorporating arts and cultural exchanges in their economic development approaches. The arts are a potent force in the economic life of cities and rural areas nationwide. Many states have invested in the arts as a strategy to attract the "creative class" and reverse brain drain.
Throughout states, artists and arts organizations are motivated by a commitment to artistry, tradition, and cultural heritage. Markets for traditional arts and cultural uniqueness have grown over the last several decades. Traditional arts are an opportunity for areas that have lagged behind to foster economic growth, while preserving the cultural vitality essential to community quality of life.
The arts provide learning opportunities to students, improving academic performance, attendance, and skill-building. Further, arts-based educational programs have had striking success among disadvantaged populations, especially at-risk and incarcerated youth. Arts programs have been high-impact components of economic development programs by:
- Leveraging human capital and cultural resources through tourism, crafts, and cultural attractions;
- Serving as a centerpiece for downtown redevelopment and cultural renewal;
- Creating vibrant public spaces, enhancing urban quality of life, expanding the tax base, and improving regional and community image; and
- Contributing to a region's "innovation habitat" by making communities more attractive to highly desirable, knowledge-based employees.
Governors can position their states to use the arts effectively by promoting new partnerships among state agencies, communities, and the business sector and by harnessing the power of the arts and culture as tools that unite communities, create economic opportunity, and improve the quality of life.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
SOUTH DAKOTA ARTS COUNCIL’S PERIL RAISES ALARMS STATEWIDE
Public reaction to the proposed zero budget for the South Dakota Arts Council in 2010 is pouring in to state legislators and the Governor’s office in overwhelming support for the state’s arts agency.
If passed as written, this budget will eliminate our state arts agency and the programs and services it provides. It will not allow South Dakota to receive its annual appropriation from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Arts programs that would cease as of July 1, 2009 include Artists in Schools and Communities, Solo Artists in Communities, Touring Arts, Traditional Arts, Importation of Musicians and Statewide Services. These programs serve people of all ages in schools and communities all across South Dakota. Grants to organizations and artists would also be eliminated under this budget plan.
The budget now goes to the Joint Appropriations Committee, then to the full Legislature.
LET THEM HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN!
South Dakotans for the Arts needs your voice to build and sustain the most important advocacy campaign for the arts in the history of our state.
! TODAY’S ACTION:
Contact the Legislators from your district: http://legis.state.sd.us/who/index.aspx
Today’s message: Make it personal. What would the loss of South Dakota Arts Council funding mean to you, your organization, community or school?
! MORE TO COME: Our advocacy campaign must move quickly and effectively. Working together, we can speak with one voice to ensure adequate public funding of the arts in South Dakota. Expect success. The arts are hard work, and this will be a long run but we can do it!
*You will be receiving continuing information, updates and advocacy tools from South Dakotans for the Arts and Americans for the Arts. If you do not wish to receive this information, please reply to this email.
For more information contact: South Dakotans for the Arts www.sdarts.org
Email: soda@rushmore.com Phone: (605) 722-1467
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