Just received from Americans for the Arts:
Americans across the country overwhelmingly approved arts and arts education ballot measures and elected pro-arts candidates at the local, state, and federal levels.
The Federal Outlook:
Funding prospects for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and for arts education improve significantly with the replacement of current Republican House leaders, who received grades of D and F on Americans for the Arts Action Fund PAC's 2006 Congressional Arts Report Card. Top Democratic House leaders Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD) each received a grade of A.
We will also see dramatic changes in the chairmanships of both the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittees, which exercise funding jurisdiction over NEA. Both Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC) and Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) were defeated in their bids for re-election. Neither had ever proposed a funding increase for the NEA. By contrast, longtime House Subcommittee Ranking Member Norm Dicks (D-WA) received an A on the 2006 report card and has consistently pledged significant increases for the NEA if he ever became chairman. Burns's victorious challenger Jon Tester (D-MT) is a former music teacher who responded favorably to the Arts Action Fund PAC's candidate survey.
The State and Local Outlook:
While the 2006 mid-term elections predominantly attracted voters who were interested in voicing their concerns about national issues, thousands of voters turned out to support critical local ballot measures that had a direct impact on the arts. All ten of the local ballot measures tracked and supported by Americans for the Arts Action Fund passed overwhelmingly, as did a state ballot measure on the arts in Louisiana. The cities and counties with local arts ballot measures include Akron (OH); Alameda County/San Leandro (CA); Alameda County/Berkeley (CA); Austin (TX); Cuyahoga County/Cleveland (OH); Marin County (CA); Portland (OR); Salt Lake County (UT); San Francisco (CA); and Santa Clara County (CA). These local and state measures will infuse millions of dollars for arts education programs in local schools and increased funding for cultural facilities and general operating support for nonprofit arts organizations.
