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