Dear Advocates and Policymakers,
It is with deep gratitude that we celebrate the end of the legislative session as of yesterday. Thank you to the Cultural Advocacy Coalition’s dedicated advocates, supporters and friends, who spoke out and encouraged investment in creative expression for all Oregonians.
THANK YOU to Oregon’s policymakers, who took important steps to invest in our cultural sector. We look forward to the Governor signing all of the following bills passed by the Senate and House this week:
- Extend the Cultural Trust Tax Credit for 6 more years (HB 2164)
- Extend special tax assessments for historic preservation properties for 2 more years (HB 2164)
- Fund Capital Investment Projects (HB 5030 & HB 5050)- Total of $5,125,000:
- Lincoln City Cultural Center – $1.5M for an exterior plaza
- Beaverton Arts Foundation – $1.5M for the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts
- Liberty Theatre– $1M for stage house and facilities improvements
- Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center – $500,000 for preservation and renovations
- Cottage Theatre – $375,000 for theatre expansion
- High Desert Museum – $250,000 for exhibit and gallery
- 2019-2021 Budgets for the Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission have been funded at the Governor’s recommended levels (SB 5524)
- Renew the provision to spend cultural trust license plate monies on the marketing and promotion of the Trust (HB 2377)
Also in support of the cultural sector, the legislature provided funding for Oregon Public Broadcasting, and the Oregon Historical Society, long-standing members of the Cultural Advocacy Coalition.
Nearly all of our legislative priorities were adopted. We will be back in the 2020 session with a request to increase the amount of the Cultural Trust license plate by at least $5 a plate. We will continue to work with the Governor and the boards of the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission on two concerning issues: 1) Increasing administrative costs, and, 2) Decreasing contributions to the Trust.
With many thanks and forward momentum!
Thank you.
Dr. Nancy Golden
Board of Directors President
Cultural Advocacy Coalition
P.S. If you haven’t yet joined our Coalition, we’d love to have you. Join us today by making a gift on our website.