CAM Legislative Alerts are notifications for members and supporters of the California Association of Museums regarding state or federal issues affecting museums. If you have any questions or would like to be taken off our distribution list, please email CAM at cam@calmuseums.org.

The California Association of Museums (CAM) encourages you to take a few minutes of your time this week to email, fax, or call the members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee in support of Senate Bill 691. This bill will exempt the Arts License Plates from future diversion of a portion of fees to the Environmental License Plate Fund (ELP). In 2004, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) collected approximately $1.1 million to support arts programming from the sale of the Arts License Plate, and more than $1.5 million in fees for the ELP--$400,000 more than the amount collected to support the California Arts Council (CAC). SB 691 would result in the full $2.6 million collected being dedicated to the CAC to support arts education and local arts programming. The Assembly Natural Resources Committee will address this issue on Tuesday, July 5, 2005.

Thank you for supporting the continuation of public arts funding in California. Please feel free to contact Celeste DeWald, Executive Director, at the CAM office at (831) 471-9970 or cam@calmuseums.org with any questions or comments you may have.

INSTRUCTIONS

Take Action Now!

Do you live or work in their district? If you are in the districts of any of the following members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, please call, email, or fax a letter directly to your Assembly Member (see talking points and background below). This message will bear greater weight if they hear directly from their constituents.

Assembly Committee on Natural Resources:

Chair Loni Hancock (Berkeley) Fax (916) 319-2114 District Phone (510) 559-1406
assemblymember.hancock@assembly.ca.gov

Vice Chair Doug La Malfa (Richvale) Fax (916) 319-2102 District Phone (530) 223-6300
assemblymember.lamalfa@assembly.ca.gov

Tom Harmon (Huntington Beach) Fax (916) 319-2167 District Phone (714) 843-4966
assemblymember.harmon@assembly.ca.gov

Rick Keene (Chico) Fax (916) 319-2103 District Phone (530) 895-4217
assemblymember.keene@assembly.ca.gov

Paul Koretz (W. Hollywood) Fax (916) 319-2142 District Phone (310) 285-5490
assemblymember.koretz@assembly.ca.gov

John Laird (Santa Cruz) Fax (916) 319-2127 District Phone (831) 425-1503
assemblymember.laird@assembly.ca.gov

Pedro Nava (Santa Barbara) Fax (916) 319-2135 District Phone (805) 564-1649
assemblymember.nava@assembly.ca.gov

Lori Saldana (San Diego) Fax (916) 319-2176 District Phone (619) 645-3090
assemblymember.saldana@assembly.ca.gov

Lois Wolk (Davis) Fax (916) 319-2108 District Phone (707) 455-8025
assemblymember.wolk@assembly.ca.gov

Please also send a copy of your letter to Senator Jackie Speier at Fax (916) 327-2186 or email Senator.Speier@sen.ca.gov and Governor Schwarzenegger, Governor's Office of Constituent Affairs at Fax (916) 445-4633. If you have time, please also send a copy to the California Association of Museums at Fax (831) 471-9381.

If you are not in the districts of the members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, please click on the link below (or copy this URL, paste it in address, and hit “go” to access the website) to send an email to members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee: http://capwiz.com/artsusa/ca/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7770486

This link will take you directly to a sample letter, which you may edit and personalize. You will be asked to enter your own name and address. You will not need to enter the legislators’ information since it is already programmed to be sent to them directly.

TALKING POINTS AND BACKGROUND ON THE ARTS LICENSE PLATE

The Arts License Plate marked its 10th anniversary in 2004 and has been one of the most popular specialty plates offered by DMV. Since its inception, the Arts License Plate has generated more than $7 million to support arts education and local arts programming and more than $8 million for the Environmental License Plate Fund (ELP). In 2004, DMV collected approximately $1.1 million to support arts programming from the sale of the Arts License Plate, and more than $1.5 million in fees for the ELP--$400,000 more than the amount collected to support CAC. SB 691 would result in the full $2.6 million collected being dedicated to the CAC to support arts education and local arts programming. The DMV Website does not explain to the purchaser of a personalized plate that the fees collected support the ELP, rather than the plate sponsor (i.e. the California Arts Council). The only license plate that does not provide funds to the ELP is the Child Health/Safety Plate, also known as the “Kids Plate”.

Sample talking points

• California artist Wayne Thiebaud donated the design of the ARTS license plate believing that all of $$ generated would go to ARTS education.
• Arts organizations throughout California market the ARTS license plate believing that all of $$ generated go to ARTS education.
• Californians buy the ARTS license plate believing that all of $$ generated go to ARTS education.
• The DMV online information states "The California Arts License Plate supports the California Arts Council for arts education and local arts programming." It makes no mention of the Environmental License Plate fund leading the consumer to believe that all of $$ generated go to ARTS education.
• The ELP received more than $31 million from the sales of specialty license plates last year. The CAC received $1.2 million and the ELP received $1.5 million from the sales of the ARTS license plate. The arts are not raiding the ELP, SB691 is asking for what the ARTS license plate has earned.
• The NEA currently matches the $$ generated by the ARTS license plate. Passing SB691 could bring more federal $$ to California.
• At this time, there is no state funding for arts education. And the state budget FY2005-06 does not provide funding for arts education.

The Arts Council’s General Fund budget was cut by 94% in the 2003/04-budget year from $18 million to $1 million, and that was down from $32 million in 2001/02. Revenue from the Arts License Plate program now totals approximately 30% of the Arts Council’s budget. The $1.5 million, now going to the ELPF from the Arts Council License Plate, would have a dramatic impact on the ability of CAC to carry out its mission. That same money is but a fraction of the ELPF’s $31 million total annual revenue from all specialty plates.