STATE BUDGET: May Revise: Arts & Culture Investments

On Friday, May 13, 2022, Governor Newsom released the May revise. Due to an increase in General Fund revenues estimated to be nearly $55 billion higher than January, the budget includes new proposals including $18.1 billion in direct relief to millions of Californians to help offset rising costs. The Legislature will review the Governor's proposals and then present their own recommendations. A budget must be sent to the Governor by June 15 at which time he has 12 working days to reduce or eliminate any appropriation contained in the budget and sign the bill.

The following arts & culture investments remain in the proposed budget:

  • $30 million over three years to fund and expand the California Cultural Districts Program

  • $50 million one-time General Fund for the California Department of Parks and Recreation to create new California Cultural and Art Installations in the Parks Program for state and local parks 

  • $173,000 ongoing General Fund to the CAC to support the California Poet Laureate and California Youth Poet Laureate and other literary programs in all 58 California Counties.

The following new items were proposed in the May Revise:

  • An increase of $63 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund, for a total of $1 billion one-time Proposition 98 General Fund, to support Expanded Learning Opportunities Program infrastructure, with a focus on integrating arts and music programming into the enrichment options for students.

  • $500 million one-time General Fund in 2022-23 for the California Small Business Hard-Hit Industries Grant Program administered by the Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), within GO-Biz, to provide additional relief to small businesses and nonprofits most affected by the pandemic including arts, entertainment and recreation. Eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations can receive grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.

In addition there were important trailer bills introduced that include statutory changes to the CA Venues Grant Program and the Cultural Institutions relief grant program that are critical to ensuring that the funding appropriated last year gets to the intended recipients.

However several items that we believe are critical investments were not included and so our collective advocacy work continues. 

Learn more about our key priorities by reading the  2022-23 Legislative Asks Summary or watch this video where CAA Executive Director Julie Baker reviews in detail the summary document to include:

Legislature, BudgetEduardo Robles