Hello Advocates,
We have good and bad news this week as some major legislation we’ve been advocating for has passed, but other important bills are hanging in the balance.
Most of our legislative work is contained in the larger omnibus budget and program changes bills that are assembled and passed in the last few days of session. If the Legislature does not resume its business before June 30th, the date by which the body must adjourn—many of our priorities might be lost. Right now, there’s not much we can do since the political breakdown is occurring between the governor and the legislative leadership.
In good news, the Oregon Cultural Trust and the Oregon Arts Commission budgets were passed. Both agencies are funded at the governor’s recommended levels. We are working to find other ways to cover growing administrative costs estimated by agency leadership that were not approved and thus will impact the grant budget. Other good news—the House passed a tax credit package yesterday that includes renewal of the tax credit and extension of the special assessments for historic preservation. But this still needs to be approved by the Senate.
These bills were all moving along positively, so if the legislature resumes business, we expect good results:
— Renewal of the Cultural Trust tax credit for 6 years
— Extension of special assessments for historic preservation for 2 years
— 5 capital projects targeted for lottery bonding or General Fund contributions (Oregon Nikkei Center, Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Cottage Theatre, High Desert Museum, and the Lincoln City Cultural Center)
— Lifting the expiration of license plate revenue for marketing of the Trust
If you’ve been an advocate or used your voice in any way this year, THANK YOU. This year’s work in Salem is evidence that our Coalition and its supporters are crucial in ensuring Oregon’s arts and culture are protected. Please stay tuned for more news in the coming days.
Thank you.

Cultural Advocacy Coalition
Executive Director
Sue Hildick
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