June 6, 2001

The Governor and House and Senate leaders have not yet come to an agreement about the amount of spending, tax refunds and tax cuts that they will make this year. Without agreement on these larger issues, the committee charged with deciding how much money will go to the arts still cannot complete its work.

The State Government Finance Conference Committee, co-chaired by Senator Richard Cohen and Representative Phil Krinkie, has quit meeting about the bill. It is our understanding, however, that the Chairs continue to discuss possible deals. As of this writing, the House position continues to be a $5 million cut in arts funding and a $100,000 cap on grants, and the Senate position continues to be an increase in arts funding of $1.35 million with no cap. They will have to compromise somewhere.

It seems clear that a Special Session can’t now occur until at least Monday, if not later. Stay tuned.

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