ArtPRIDE New Jersey is pleased to report that the state legislature passed the FY04 budget including $16 million appropriated to the NJ State Council on the Arts, $ 2.7 million to the NJ Historical Commission and $500,000 for the NJ Cultural Trust. Administration lines are intact in the budget providing staff for all three agencies.

Jeff Woodward, President of ArtPRIDE stated, “We are extremely relieved and thankful today for this restoration of arts and cultural funding. Tens of thousands of New Jersey residents spoke out in favor of arts and history and our state government listened. We are especially pleased by the bipartisan approval of a dedicated revenue source that will provide increased and stable funding for the arts, history and tourism in the future. Our slogan is now ‘New Jersey Arts Saved!’”

To provide revenue in the budget, A3710/S2670 passed, a hotel/motel occupancy tax that provides the FY04 cultural revenue and dedicates funding in FY05 at minimum levels of $22.68 million for the NJ State Council on the Arts, $ 3.84 million for the NJ Historical Commission, and $ 720,000 for the NJ Cultural Trust.

Thank you for doing your part in this extraordinary advocacy effort. Arts and history advocates throughout the state rallied strongly together, demonstrating an exceptional collaborative commitment to New Jersey’s quality of life. We are grateful to each and every one who wrote letters and emails, signed or distributed postcards and petitions, sent faxes or made phone calls and personal visits to legislators. A special thank you goes to ArtPRIDE board members and history advocates who attended and testified at countless legislative hearings and paced the halls of the State House demonstrating their support.

Special thanks go to those elected officials who demonstrated exemplary leadership in restoring cultural funding and helping assure dedicated revenue for future support. Thank you to Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Roberts (District 5) for his leadership, support and commitment, and to Assembly co-sponsors of A3710 Anthony Impreveduto (District 32), Reed Gusciora (District 15), and John McKeon (District 27). In the Senate, thank you to S2670 sponsors Senator Wayne Bryant (District 5) and Barbara Buono (District 18), and to Senator Leonard Lance who provided the vote necessary to pass the legislation. Finally, thanks to Governor McGreevey for signing the bill into law on July 1.

A vital part of advocacy is extending thanks to those legislators who supported us throughout the past several months. Click on ACTION and Email legislators to express your gratitude. A personal phone call to your local district legislators’ office will also be most welcome!

As editor of ArtPRIDE News Bytes, I will never get to publicly thank all of those who energized this campaign. The ArtPRIDE Executive Committee and board were incredibly courageous, and it was a pleasure working with colleagues in the history community. Special thanks go to Jeff Woodward for his leadership, wisdom and fortitude and to Joe Simonetta of HSBG who provided insight and expert advice. Thanks to Sharon Harrington, Judith Dawkins, Judy Shaw, Jeffrey Norman, Dave Cowell, and to our friends in the Dept. of State--Secretary of State Regena Thomas and Asst. Secretary Lizette Delgado and Legislative Liaison Robin Johnson.

As all good advocates know, the job is never over, and in this case it’s just begun. After all, there’s an election in November and we have to remind everyone that those noisy arts and history advocates vote, too!! For now, though, it’s good to pause and say thank you to all who worked together to keep arts and history funding in the budget! Thank YOU!!!-Ann Marie Miller