California Governor Jerry Brown’s annual “May revise” of the state’s budget contains an unexpected item: a $5 million bump in funding for the California Arts Council, the state agency responsible for granting funds to promote the arts.
The governor’s original budget plan, proposed in January, contained the usual $1.1 million from the general fund — “the amount needed to fully qualify for matching federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Last year, the governor added a one-time boost in $5 million, but this year is different.
The Los Angeles Times reports:
This time Brown has designated the additional $5 million as a “permanent funding increase” – signaling that the new baseline the arts agency can expect as its annual share of the general fund can rise from $1.1 million to $6.1 million. If state government’s financial picture doesn’t worsen, which could prompt budget-crafters to look for cuts, next year’s process would begin with the assumption that the arts council should receive at least $6.1 million in state tax revenue.
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