2024 Advocacy: State Full Funding

UPDATE: March 5, 2024

WEEK 9: ARTS & CULTURE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS- THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVOCACY

For the Capital City, Northern Florida, and the entire state of Florida, arts & culture was funded again this year, but at a much lower level than requested. This is disappointing news, but we’ll carry forward and continue to invest in our communities, building every district, every day through arts and culture. Check out COCA’s social media & website this week for updates and news from the Florida Cultural Alliance. Thank you for your advocacy and continued support!

UPDATE MARCH 1, 2024

Committee Chairs now make the final determination!

Thank you for your advocacy work, especially any you have done over the past week! The House and Senate exchanged their third offers, but they did not come to an agreement. This means that the Committee chairs will decide the final recommendations. The Florida Cultural Alliance lobbyist will work with committee chairs on appeals for continued funding levels for both line items, aiming for levels as close as possible to full funding.

We anticipate an update on the decision this afternoon. We will share what we learn as soon as possible.

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UPDATE: February 29, 2024

The Senate responded to the House with their Offer #2. They have increased their recommendation for Cultural and Museum Grants to $20,000,000. Ask the House committee members to hold onto their $35,306,453 offer

They accepted the House's offer to eliminate funding for Culture Builds Florida. They reduced their allocation for Cultural Facilities to $11,785,546.

For those you have reached out and continue reaching out, THANK YOU!
If you have not reached out, you can find the emails and messagesbelow.

Messaging
Line 280: Cultural & Museum Grants - Ask the House to hold onto their offer
Line 317: Cultural Facilities: Ask the House to match the Senate's offer

It’s week 8 of the legislative session, and budget conference committee members were announced yesterday. This means the state budget will be finalized over the next few days. Thank you for previously sending letters & emails to our local senator & representatives. TODAY and this week, contact the budget conference committee chairs and advocate to fully fund the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture's vetted, recommended list of grants.

IF YOU HAVE A CULTURAL FACILITIES GRANT AT STAKE AND HAVE NOT REACHED OUT TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE - YOU MAY WANT TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER DOING SO THE HOUSE HAS APPROPRIATED $0 FOR THAT LINE ITEM.

Action steps:

1.Use the email templates below and send an email to the conference committee chairs and their aides:

Senator Ed Hooper, Chair, Appropriations Committee (Senate side)

Hooper.Ed@flsenate.gov

Dixon.Caroline@flsenate.gov

Overend.Ashley@flsenate.gov

Senator Jay Trumble, Vice Chair, Appropriations Committee (Senate side - also from North Fl)

Trumbull.Jay@flsenate.gov

Gainey.Andrea@flsenate.gov

Rodgers.Kimberly@flsenate.gov

Representative Tom Leek, Chair, Appropriations Committee (House side)

Tom.Leek@myfloridahouse.gov

Stephanie.Wohlford@myfloridahouse.gov

Lynette.Phillips@myfloridahouse.gov

Representative Lawrence McClure, Vice Chair, Appropriations Committee (House side)

Lawrence.McClure@myfloridahouse.gov

James.Befanis@myfloridahouse.gov

Amy.Carpenter@myfloridahouse.gov

2. Use the email templates below and send an email to our senator and representatives

Representative Franklin Gallop

franklin.gallop@myfloridahouse.gov & (850)717-5009

Représentative Allison Tant

allison.tant@myfloridahouse.gov & (850)717-5009

Senator Corey Simmon

taylor.devonique@flsenate.gov (aide) & (850)487-5003

3.  Ask your friends to do the same

COCA has contacted all Senate and House committee members. YOUR advocacy to these conference committee leaders will make a difference- contact them TODAY!

Thank you-

Kathleen Spehar

Executive Director, COCA

SENATE EMAIL TEMPLATE- send to Senators

Dear Senator- Thank you for all the work you've done this session and for supporting Arts & Culture in your district and the entire state. Every day, arts & culture builds every district in Florida with its tens of thousands of programs, services and opportunities for students, families and adults, its 9:1 return on investment, and more.

The reviewed, vetted, matched, recommended list of the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture grants have stakeholders in every single district. Today I ask you to take action on these line items:

Meet the House's offer on line item 280/Cultural and Museum Grants of $35,306,453

protect your recommendation of $11,785,546 to in funding the Cultural Facilities Grants

Thank you for your support of these requests. By fully funding these line items, you’ll increase and deepen the impact arts & culture has for your colleagues’ districts and for 39 million Floridians statewide.

Sincerely,

HOUSE EMAIL TEMPLATE- send to Representatives

Dear Representative- Thank you for all the work you've done this session and for supporting Arts & Culture in your district and the entire state. Every day, arts & culture builds every district in Florida with its tens of thousands of programs, services and opportunities for students, families and adults, its 9:1 return on investment, and more.

The reviewed, vetted, matched, recommended list of the Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture grants have stakeholders in every single district. Today I ask you to take action on these line items:

protect the Cultural and Museum Grants recommendation of $35,306,453

Meet the Senate’s offer of $11,785,546 in funding the Cultural Facilities Grants

Thank you for your support of these requests. By fully funding these line items, you’ll increase and deepen the impact arts & culture has for your colleagues’ districts and for 39 million Floridians statewide.