The Seventy Seventh Legislative Assembly adjourned July 8, after five months and eight days of deliberations.
The Cultural Advocacy Coalition achieved each of our legislative agenda items this session, with the help of cultural advocates, like you from across the state. For this, I want to offer my sincere thanks. We were tracking legislation, working the committee process and meeting with legislators. At the same time, you joined us, by communicating with legislators as informed constituents from their home districts. Your advocacy protected and advanced culture in Oregon this legislative session. Thank you!
1,364 advocacy messages were sent this session to the governor and legislators. Key legislators received their constituent messages at the moment that decisions were being made in the committee process. Grassroots advocacy matters! Legislators voted to support arts and culture in Oregon with more funding for the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Oregon Arts Commission, the Oregon Historical Society and other cultural institutions. Now it’s time to say: Thank You!
I hope you will take a quick minute to click on this link to thank your legislator for supporting more funding for arts and culture and renewal of the Cultural Trust tax credit. I should note that because of the way our legislation was structured, a handful of legislators voted against the bill to renew the Trust’s tax credit, primarily because of other issues that were included in the legislation–but they still supported arts and culture in other ways this session, through strong budgets for cultural partners and more funding for cultural institutions.
It was a good session for culture in Oregon. Please join me in taking a moment to say Thank You to your local legislators.