Arts & Creative Industries Post Legislative Wins

The legislative session was fruitful for arts advocates this year. In January, Governor Ritter announced a package of three pieces of legislation to target the creative sector as a strategy for economic growth. All three bills have passed the House and Senate and now await the Governor’s signature. In addition, the Legislature maintained level funding for the Council on the Arts for next fiscal year. Unfortunately, the budget for the Office of Film, Television and Media was reduced 10%, but this cut is much lower than the original budget proposal which would have cut both agencies another 33% over last year’s 25% reductions. The Governor’s Office is working to schedule a bill signing event during the week of May 3, which will likely be held at the Art Institute of Colorado. We hope that arts and creative industry advocates will come out in large numbers to help celebrate the bill signing, so please stay tuned for final details.
     
A fourth piece of legislation that would require a course in visual or performing arts for graduation from high school has not yet passed out of the legislature. The bill was championed by Representative Michael Merrifield, a former choir teacher. 
 
A Summary of Arts and Creative Industries Legislation:
SB 10-094, Concerning the Definition of Capitol Construction Appropriations for Purposes of the Art in Public Places Program, clarifies that the thirty-three year old Arts in Public Places Statute applies to all capitol construction projects funded with state dollars, regardless of the funding mechanism.
 
SB 10-158, Concerning the creation of the Creative Industries Division within the Colorado Office of Economic Development, merges the Office of Film, Television, and Media, the State Council on the Arts, and the Art in Public Places Program, and renames the State Council on the Arts as the Council on Creative Industries and authorizes the Council to establish policies for the merged entity.
 
HB10-1180, Concerning the Criteria to Qualify for a Performance-Based Incentive for Film Production Activities in Colorado, changes the criteria required of a film production company to qualify for a performance-based incentive for film production activities in Colorado, making the incentive more usable and thus able to attract more film and television work to Colorado.
 
HB 1273, Arts Education for Workforce Development, originally required all Colorado public schools to provide education in the visual and performing arts and required satisfactory completion of a course in visual or performing arts as a condition for high school graduation. The bill also incorporates visual and performing arts education into the description of postsecondary and workforce readiness. The bill  passed both the House and the Senate, but the Senate version was amended and sent back to the House minus the graduation requirement, but including a recommendation that the State Board of Education consider including visual and performing arts as they develop the State Graduation Guidelines. The House could not concur on Senate amendments and the bill was sent to Conference Committee on 4/16. The Conference Committee may decide to support its passage as amended by the Senate or the bill may be withdrawn by its sponsors.

Source: Colorado Council on the Arts
A division of the Colorado Office of  Economic Development and International Trade
1625 Broadway, Suite 2700
Denver, CO 80202
303-892-3802