Budget Conference Update #2 and DCA Grants

Wednesday, April 24, 2019, 7:30 a.m.

TED/TAT Budget Conference Update #2
Not final numbers -- this is a process.

Last Night at the TED/TAT first budget conference meeting, the Senate Offer #1 was presented that included its recommendations for the Florida Department of State (DOS) Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA) Matching Grants' Programs:

● Good news for Culture Builds Florida Grants:

both the House and Senate agree to $2,980,028 to fully fund all 132 matching grants; so, they will probably agree to close out this issue.

SENATE Offer #1 also includes these DOS DCA recommendations:

● $12,300,000 for Cultural and Museum Matching Grants

Also, under Cultural and Museum Grants in Senate Offer #1 are
Miami Military Museum Inaugural Year Operations $150,000
St. Petersburg Museum of History $200,000
Straz Center for the Performing Arts - Master Plan $500,000
African American History Museum and Library $200,000
Boca Raton Children's Museum $120,000

● $5,970,000 for Cultural Facilities Matching Grants

Also, under Cultural Facilities in Senate Offer #1 are
Camp Blanding Museum Expansion Project $750,000
Florida Holocaust Museum Security Enhancements $500,000

We'll let you know as soon as we know when the next TED/TAT budget conference meeting will be for the House's Offer. They only have to give an hour notice. Please pay attention to your emails

If you have not followed through on sending your email requests as suggested below, please do so this morning. Thank you.

Message to Edit and Personalize

Legislators to Contact

Suggested email to quickly edit, personalize, and send NOW to legislators listed below:

I and so many others appreciate our legislators' efforts to restore Florida's investments in the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs matching grants' programs this year.

I ask your leadership to restore Florida's investments to the highest appropriations possible to fund the 647 recommended matching grants under these categories:

●  $27,593,312 to fund 478 Cultural and Museum Matching Grants
budget line item 3201 (this request would provide about 65.5% of each of the 478 recommended grant amounts)

●  $2,980,028 to fund 132 Culture Builds Florida Matching Grants,

budget line item 3200A.  Thank you to both the House and Senate in budget conference for the recommendation to fund this program fully.

● $12,499,777 to fund 37 Cultural Facilities Matching Grants

budget line item 3207A (this request would fully fund all 37 matching grants)

These 647 matching grants

● leverage millions in required local-matching dollars;
● return $9 to $1 to local and state government treasuries annually;
● sustain and create jobs;
● create greater access for residents and tourists to arts/cultural programs;
● are all well-vetted and accountable to the state of Florida through well-established rules and reporting requirements.

Your leadership can help Florida restore its U.S. ranking to a more respectable level than 47th in our country.

Thank you for your consideration of these requests. This issue matters to me and to our community.

Your name and contact information

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Send emails NOW to the following legislators under the three categories below:

#1. 6 LEGISLATIVE LEADERS: ALL advocates should send emails immediately to the following 6 legislative leaders -- see suggested message above:

TED/TAT Budget Conference Chair	Chair W. Travis Hutson	Hutson.Travis@flsenate.gov
TED/TAT Budget Conference Chair	Chair Jay Trumbull	Jay.Trumbull@myfloridahouse.gov
Budget Conference Chair	Senator Rob Bradley	bradley.rob@flsenate.gov
Budget Conference Vice Chair	W. Travis Cummings	Travis.Cummings@myfloridahouse.gov
Senate President	Bill Galvano	galvano.bill@flsenate.gov
Speaker of House	Jose Oliva	jose.oliva@myfloridahouse.gov

#2. TED/TAT Budget Conference Members if they Represent Your County: check out column one for counties on this Excel list of members who serve on the TED/TAT budget conference committee. See suggested message above.

#3. Ask YOUR LEGISLATORS to speak to members who serve on the TED/TAT budget conference listed under #2 and the leaders listed under #1. See suggested message above.

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