Good News About the Arts in Illinois

You read that right. GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE ARTS IN ILLINOIS.

Something happened over the last 26 hours or so that has me stunned, delighted and breathing a sigh of profound relief.

By an overwhelming majority and with strong bipartisan support, the Illinois House and Senate approved a new budget that, among other things, increases support for the Illinois Arts Council by 30%.

I know. That’s a lot to take in. So, let’s go over that again, one point at a time.

• Illinois is on the verge of having a new budget.

• It has bipartisan support.

• And arts funding is going up. From approximately $9 million to approximately $12 million.

We’re not quite there yet. Although Governor Rauner has indicated he intends to sign the bill, he has yet to do so. So let’s add to the forward momentum.

Click here to send him a note urging him to sign the bill.

And click here to find out how to contact your state senators and reps to thank them for their bipartisan support for the arts.

And then pinch yourself. This really could happen.

If you’d like, click here to go to the home page for Arts Alliance Illinois, the organization that has been instrumental in fighting for this support, and for which I’m a proud board member. Even better, click here to get the email addresses for Policy and Research Director Jonathan VanderBrug and Executive Director Claire Rice. They deserve our thanks and congratulations.

Our voices really do matter, friends. Here’s a chance to use them.