Gov.'s arts veto pushes Kan. into national debate

Newstimes.com: Gov.'s arts veto pushes Kan. into national debate
JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is defending his veto of all funding for the Kansas Arts Commission, predicting other states will follow the lead of Kansas is shutting down government arts agencies.

.TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback pushed Kansas into a national debate over the scope of government by making his state the first to shut down its arts agency and eliminate funding for arts programs, leading one group Tuesday to call the state "a huge outlier" in how it treats the arts.

But Brownback predicted other states will follow Kansas' lead.

"While we may be a trend-setter now in the area, I think you're going to see a number of states pursue this very same avenue," Brownback told reporters. "This is a good trend. It's so that you focus your budget items in core areas more so than in areas that we can afford to pay for off the private side."

The chief executive officer of Americans for the Arts, based in Washington, said Brownback's decision last week to veto the entire Kansas Arts Commission budget goes against "a half-century understanding" in the U.S. that government has a role in promoting the arts. He also suggested the Republican governor's actions violate pledges from his campaign last year to improve the economy.

"It's a huge outlier," Robert Lynch, CEO of Americans for the Arts, said during an interview with The Associated Press. "It's the only such decision made this year or in the past 50 years."

Some fiscal conservatives contend Americans, concerned about spending, are rethinking whether taxpayer dollars should support the arts. Alan Cobb, director of state operations for the small-government group Americans for Prosperity, said criticism of Brownback's actions is overheated.

"If this happened across the country, we will still have great art museums and symphony orchestras," Cobb said. "We can't do everything, so let's figure out what we really need to do, and what are we good at."

Proposals to eliminate state councils or dramatically cut funding have been pursued in several states, including New Hampshire, Texas and Washington, but Kansas is the first where such an effort has come to fruition. Vermont has a private, nonprofit arts council, but it relies heavily on state funding.

Brownback has argued that the arts will still flourish in Kansas with private funding and that the state must set priorities in using limited tax dollars in tough financial times.

"I'll be working to raise private moneys for the arts in this state," Brownback said.

He sought to replace the Kansas Arts Commission with a private nonprofit foundation, which formed in February. The governor used his power to individual budget items to strike $689,000 that legislators set aside for the Arts Commission in a $13.8 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Brownback also struck the line authorizing the commission's small staff. Even before he acted, his administration told the commission's five employees they'd be laid off June 10.

"The private sector — both nonprofit and for-profit — are providing all kinds of outlets for the arts," Cobb said. "Here's what's changed: People in the middle are saying, 'I'm not really sure this is a proper role of government."

Arts advocates have warned that eliminating the commission could cost the state as much as $1.2 million in federal funds. Brownback had proposed setting aside a $200,000 subsidy for the new foundation in the state historical society's budget, but the Legislature put all arts funding in the Arts Commission's budget — meaning none survived the governor's actions.

Arts advocates argued that Brownback's actions jeopardize several thousand jobs tied directly to arts programs and others supported by the spending of arts patrons.

Jonathan Katz, chief executive officer of the Washington-based National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, said Brownback's actions will likely lead to fewer performances, fewer art exhibits and fewer touring company visits to small towns.

"There is no comparable example of a state government walking away from supporting a public arts agency," said Katz, who served as the Kansas commission's executive director in the 1970s. "It's an extreme measure."

Officials at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington weren't commenting Tuesday about Brownback's action or whether it will cost Kansas federal arts dollars. But arts advocates see that outcome as inevitable because Kansas won't be funding a government arts agency.

Lynch and Katz said Brownback's actions also are significant because Kansas has been a leader in developing local arts councils and making sure such funding is available even in small communities.

"To have that be the kind of place that dropped to zero is kind of a surprise," Lynch said.