Persistence Pays Off!!

The House/Senate Conference Committee has been meeting to iron out the differences between the House budget bill (which cut $50,000 out of the Arts budget) and the Senate Budget bill (which gave the Arts level funding as recommended by the Governor).  The Conference Committee finished late Tuesday and in the end, the arts prevailed and the House negotiation team adopted the Senate position of level funding (no cuts) next year!!!!! We want to personally thank all that called or e-mailed their legislators to stop the proposed cut to the arts!  Now that we have level funding ... are we done yet?  Definitely not!  Later this week the compromise bill that has been hashed out will be voted on by the House & Senate on an up or down vote...no debates or amendments. Then ... on April 27, the legislature will go back in for the wrap-up session where they develop the last or wrap-up spending bill called the Omnibus/Budget Reconciliation bill. Anything can happen during the wrap-up session including cuts to previously approved budgets. Much can still happen, but for now, things look good!
Thanks for all that you do to support the arts in Kansas! 

Important Kansas Legislative News!!

On Wednesday, March 23, the Kansas Senate passed out to final action its version of the FY
2006 budget bill (SB 270) that agrees with the Governor's recommendation for
level funding. You will remember that the Kansas House of Representatives
passed its version of the budget bill (HB 2482) that cut (transferred out)
$50,000 from the Kansas Arts Commission budget. The funds were transferred
out to the Senior Care Act home & community based services at the Department
of Aging (KDOA). As indicated previously, funding for KDOA is important,
but there is a lot of concern about cutting the arts budget to do so. So now
we are at an important juncture. The Senate budget bill gives the arts level
funding and the House budget bill cuts the arts by $50,000. To resolve this
difference, a conference committee will be appointed to negotiate a
compromise, hopefully not including a cut for the arts!

The conference committee will meet starting late tomorrow (Thursday, 3/24/05) and probably
on into the weekend or next week, so if you want to comment on the arts funding to the conference committee, time is short.

NOTE: We do not want the arts to be cut and we should recommend that the conference committee adopt the Senate's position. Listed below are the conference committee members
(three from the Senate, three from the House) that will be making the decisions on arts funding. KCA suggests that you contact these committee members with all due dispatch (e-mail or phone) if you want to get your voice heard on this issue!!

Senator Dwayne Umbarger (R-Thayer) 785-296-7389,
E-Mail: umbarger@senate.state.ks.us
Senator Jay Emler (R-Lindsborg) 785-296-7354,
E-Mail: emler@senate.state.ks.us
Senator Jim Barone (D-Frontenac) 785-296-7370,
E-Mail: barone@senate.state.ks.us
Representative Melvin Neufeld (R-Ingalls) 785-296-7649,
E-Mail: neufeld@house.state.ks.us
Representative Brenda Landwehr (R-Wichita) 785-296-7683,
E-Mail: landwehr@house.state.ks.us
Representative Bill Feuerborn (D-Garnett) 785-296-7697,
E-Mail: feuerborn@house.state.ks.us

More later as the conference committee's work unfolds. Thanks!

Arts Day Pictures on the Web

I've uploaded some pictures from Arts Day at the Capitol 2005 to the Kansas Citizens for the Arts Website. To view, click on this link. I'm grateful to those who kindly furnished digital photos of the event for use on the Web site.

Thanks for a Great Arts Day at the Capitol!!!

Thanks, everyone, for a great Arts Day at the Capitol on Thursday, March 10! Since so many people were very special to this event, and since I do not want to miss thanking anyone, I just want to thank everyone that worked so hard to make the Arts Day a success!!! The entire day went very well, and the performance by the Brookridge Elementary School, as part of the World's Largest Concert, was really special! Be sure to mark your calendars for the next Arts Day on Thrsday, March 9, 2006!Thanks so much for all that you do to advance and strengthen the arts in Kansas! You're the very best!
-----Dave Wilson
Executive Director
Kansas Arts Commission

ARTS DAY Excitement!

Everything is coming together beautifully for Arts Day.
This should be the best yet!
See you Thursday.
Dee

Arts at the Capitol Day

Arts at the Capitol Day will be Thursday, March 10, 2005 from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. beginning on the 2nd floor rotunda in the Kansas State Capitol, Topeka. Here's the agenda for the day:

7:00-9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast for legislators, their staffs and arts advocates.

9:00 a.m. Welcome to Kansas Citizens for the Arts. Distribution of packets and visits to your legislators' offices with pre-prepared packets of information supporting the Kansas Arts Commission and Arts Education in Kansas schools.

10:30 a.m. Governor Sebelius (invited), Senators, and Representatives address the gathering.

11:30 a.m. Annual board meeting of the Kansas Citizens for the Arts.

12:00-1:00 p.m. A performance of the World's Largest Concert-a local elelmentary singing group joined by choirs all over America via video tape.

For information about the Kansas Citizens for the Arts, see www.kansasarts.org or e-mail us at kansasarts.aol.com.

See you at the Statehouse!

Here we are

We now not only have this blog, but also a Google group, two which three are subscribed, as a test. This and all subsequent posts to our blog will go out as e-mail messages to those whose e-mail addresses are included in the Google group. The blog itself is configured so that anyone at all can read the posts, but only members can post. This too is a test. See you on the blog. Eric Hansen.

First Post

Here is a blog to discuss advocacy for the fine arts in Kansas. It's inspired by the Kansas Citizens for the Arts and created by KCA's Webmaster. This is a test post; soon, more substantive comments, legislative updates, and news will follow.