CALL TO ACTION: New COVID-19 NC Arts Funding Bills H1068 & S738 Need Support
Arts NC is excited to announce that Joint Caucus on Arts and Arts Education Co-Chairs Rep. Becky Carney and Rep. Jeffrey Elmore are joined by Rep. Michele Presnell and Rep. Susan Fisher as primary sponsors of H1068, the new legislation that would allocate $3 million to arts organizations negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the NC Arts Council.
UPDATE: Sen. Harper Peterson, Sen. Kirk deViere, and Sen. Michael Garrett have filed identical companion legislation in the NC Senate, S738, that would also allocate $3 million to arts organizations negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the NC Arts Council.
We hope to have even more bipartisan support for H1068 & S738 before the NC General Assembly reconvenes next week . This bill will allow us to focus our advocacy and our message to achieve the funding needed to sustain and reignite the economic engine of the arts industry in North Carolina.
Contact your NC House Representative RIGHT NOW because they only have until midnight on May 14th, to become a co-sponsor on H1068 to show their support for this crucial funding. Contact your NC Senator RIGHT NOW and ask that they become a co-sponsor on S738 before the afternoon of May 15th to support this vital allocation of resources.
While it is unlikely that these bills will get a separate vote in either chamber, by focusing our support for these measures, we will help to insure that this $3 million allocation may be included in larger pandemic related legislation.
We are also very excited to unveil Arts North Carolina’s New Action Center through which you will be able to easily contact to all of your representatives with the right message in TWO MINUTES OR LESS.