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Arts Action Alert 12-12-17:  State and federal arts
and creative economy policy issue updates

Updates about policy issues on the state and federal levels may not sound all that exciting, but given the "interesting times" we live in, it's more important than ever to be in the know and to be an informed advocate.  As 2017 draws to a close and we look towards 2018, we're writing with updates about policy issues and legislation affecting the arts, culture, community, and creativity statewide and nationally.
 
State arts policy news:  What's happening with
Wisconsin Creates?
The push to establish Wisconsin Creates,  a new statewide program to invest in Wisconsin's creative economy, continues to move forward.   Senate Bill (SB) #284 and Assembly Bill (AB) #393, the legislation created to establish this 21st century development program, are currently active and under consideration in the 2017-2018 legislative session.  In October, SB284 passed the Senate Committee on Small Business, Agriculture, and Tourism and AB393 passed the Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy, both with unanimous votes.
 
Wisconsin Creates will support for-profit and non-profit businesses and agencies of local government on:
  • Economic and community development - developing jobs, businesses, and experiences in the creative sector
  • Arts and creativity in education - helping our kids succeed and developing a 21st century workforce
  • Infrastructure and capacity building - strengthening arts and creative for-profit and non-profit businesses and organizations' outreach, engagement and education programs.
Wisconsin Creates is all about using the arts and creativity for a vibrant, innovative, and successful Wisconsin.  Strengthening Wisconsin's creative economy is a critical strategy for the state and all of its communities to compete in the global economy, educate our children, engage residents, and to develop, attract and retain entrepreneurs and a high skilled work force through healthy, vibrant communities where people want to live, work, learn, and play.
 
When the program becomes a reality, it will be the first increase to arts and cultural funding in Wisconsin in over 20 years, and will mean opportunities for more funding of arts and cultural programs throughout the state.   Wisconsin Creates  will be ad
ministered by the Wisconsin Arts Board. 
 
What happens after the new year?   When state representatives return to  the Capitol at the beginning of January, your involvement will help focus their attention on the need for this program as the bill continues through the legislative process. Watch for more Arts Action Alerts and register for Arts Day 2018 on Wednesday, March 21, at the Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison, where people who care about Wisconsin's future - people like you! - to speak up for investment in 21st century development and infrastructure.  

Arts Day is the release date of 21st Century Wisconsin, a report from Arts Wisconsin and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, on the state of Wisconsin's creative economy and action planning for strong, sustained growth.  Register today for Arts Day!
 
And on the federal arts, creativity, community and nonprofit policy front:
  • Congress is moving fast to pass a far-reaching federal tax reform bill.  Negotiations are currently taking place between the House and the Senate with the goal of finalizing the legislation by Christmas.  The proposed tax reform could have a very negative impact on charitable giving that enables nonprofit organizations to provide community-based services.  Although both the House and Senate versions of the bill retain the deduction for charitable donations, they would nearly double the standard deduction and thereby decrease the number of taxpayers who would file itemized deductions. With this change, it's estimated that only five percent of taxpayers would itemize. This could be a dis-incentive for some donors' giving.  Go to the National Council of Nonprofits for up to date information and actions.
  • The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee's bill to fund the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) maintains current funding for the agency of $150 million for FY 2018. Both the full U.S. House and the Senate Appropriations Committee have solidly rejected the Administration's call for termination of our nation's cultural agencies. More than 187,000 advocacy messages were sent to elected representatives in support of the NEA, reaching every U.S. House and Senate.  Click here for more info, and go to Americans for the Arts' Arts Mobilization Center to stay up to date on arts, arts education and creative economy developments.
  • Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) reintroduced Senate and House versions of the Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy (CREATE) Act this year. The CREATE Act aims to more thoroughly serve the people, places, and programs that make our nation's creative economy prosper in all its cultural, social, and commercial forms. 
Go to Arts Wisconsin's Legislative Action Center to stay up to date, and feel free to get in touch with Arts Wisconsin Executive Director Anne Katz ([email protected] or 608 255 8316) with questions, comments, ideas.  Happy holidays to all!
 
Arts Action Alerts are a service of Arts Wisconsin, the state's community cultural development organization.  Are you a member of Arts Wisconsin?  If not, you should be, because we're the only independent statewide organization working and speaking up for the arts, culture and creativity in every corner of the state.  That means we do our work for Wisconsin's amazing arts sector and on behalf of everyone, everywhere int he state.  Go to www.artswisconsin.org/support to join or renew today.
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