The current executive budget directly targeted State Arts Funding with 60% cut bringing Statewide Arts Grants and the Decentralized Arts Funding Program to $1.9 million. As you all know, the budget HB1 is now in Senate Finance. Representatives of the Louisiana Partnership for Arts Advocacy will testify before the Senate Finance Committee this week, either Friday or Saturday. We need your help NOW! By now, you know the drill. Go to www.lparts.org then type in your zip code under “Write Your Legislators” and click “GO.” You’ll be taken to our “Action Alert” page where under “Louisiana” you should click on “Take Action” to be taken to the message to the members of the Senate Finance Committee. If you want to personalize the message with a personal experience or as a member of an arts organization that will be affected, please do so at the beginning of the message, but PLEASE do not change the balance of the message as written. Please contact members of the Committee NOW in support of LPAA’s testimony encouraging the Senators to add an additional $1 million for both the Decentralized Arts Funding Program and the Statewide Arts Grants. And, please pass this message on to your friends, relatives and anyone else who wants to continue to enjoy the cultural and educational programs that we’ve all come to expect from our arts organizations. We need our message to be heard loud and clear in Baton Rouge!

Thanks in advance for your help! Tommy Usrey, Chairman Gerd Wuestemann, Advocacy Vice Chairman Louisiana Partnership for Arts Advocacy Louisiana Partnership for Arts Advocacy