May 31, 2011 | Read Time: 1 minute
Gov. Sam Brownback, Republican of Kansas, has eliminated the state’s Arts Commission as part of an effort to slash state spending by 6 percent, the Associated Press reports. That makes Kansas the only state without a unit to channel government money to arts and culture groups, says the advocacy group Americans for the Arts.
Mr. Brownback vetoed a line item in the Legislature’s state budget that had set aside $689,000 for the arts commission, saying: “The arts will continue to thrive in Kansas when funded by private donations, and I intend to personally involve myself in efforts to make this happen,” the Associated Press writes. He proposes to replace the state agency with a state-subsidized private foundation to promote the arts.
Robert Lynch, president of Americans for the Arts, said in a statement that Kansas will now be ineligible for matching grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and its citizens will lose both jobs and high-quality arts programs.
Tell us what’s going on in your state. Contact Suzanne Perry to share your story.
