MINNESOTA Vote Citizens for the Arts Legislative Candidate Survey 2016 smART! The election on November 8, 2016 will have a huge impact on the arts and on our country. If you agree with thousands of Minnesotans who believe that the arts matter, you’ll want to know where legislators stand. IMPORTANT: Visit the Secretary of State’s website to fnd out your district and where to vote: http://pollfnder.sos.state.mn.us/ READ: We’ve asked all legislative candidates fve questions about current arts issues so they can tell you how they would vote. Due to limited space, comments were limited to 3 sentences. To see full responses visit our website at www.artsmn.org ALL STARS: Look for the symbol telling you which legislators have been awarded an Arts All Star from MCA for their exceptional support for the arts at the legislature! CONNECT: With MCA on Facebook, Twitter @MNCitizen, and our website www.artsmn.org. We’ll make sure you stay informed. ASK: If your candidates didn’t respond to the survey, make sure to ask them these questions when you see them on the campaign trail! ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Minnesota Citizens for the Arts is a non-partisan statewide arts advocacy organization whose mission is to ensure the opportunity for all people to have access to and involvement in the arts. MCA organizes the arts com- munity and lobbies the Minnesota State Legislature and U.S. Congress on issues pertaining to the nonproft arts. MCA does not endorse candidates for public ofce. MCA’s successes include passing the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in 2008 which created dedi- cated funding for the arts in the Minnesota State Constitution for the next 25 years, and the Creative Minnesota research project at CreativeMN.org. OFFICE: US CONGRESS 2014 Report Card Highlights Incumbent Members of Congress Running for Re-Election Timothy Walz (D - MN 01) - Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus - Cosigned five “Dear Colleague” letters in 2013 and 2014 asking for increased funding for the NEA and NEH, and “robust” funding for the Office of Museum Services - Voted for H.R. 4719 which would make permanent three critical charitable tax extenders - 2012 AFTA grade: A+ Erik Paulsen (R - MN 03) - Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus - Voted for H.R. 4719 which would make permanent three critical charitable tax extenders - 2012 AFTA grade: B+ * Rep. Paulsen’s opponent Terri Bonoff was the only challenger to respond to questions on her arts support. See the next page for her answers. Betty McCollum (D - MN 04) - Ranking Democratic member of the committee that funds the NEA - Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus and the Humanities Caucus - Cosponsored H.R. 2482 in the 113th Congress allowing artists and creators to claim a tax deduction for the fair market value of gifts of their own work to nonprofit arts organizations for mission-related use - 2012 AFTA grade: A+ * Rep. McCollum answered arts policy questions. See next page. Keith Ellison (D - MN 05) - Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus and the STEAM Caucus - Cosigned five “Dear Colleague” letters in 2013 and 2014 asking for increased funding for the NEA and NEH, and “robust” funding for the Office of Museum Services - 2012 AFTA grade: B * Rep. Ellison answered arts policy questions. See next page. Collin Peterson (D - MN 07) - Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus and the STEAM Caucus - Cosponsored H.R. 2482 in the 113th Congress allowing artists and creators to claim a tax deduction for the fair market value of gifts of their own work to nonprofit arts organizations for mission-related use - Cosigned three “Dear Colleague” letters in 2013 and 2014 asking for increased funding for the NEA and NEH - 2012 AFTA grade: A+ * Rep. Peterson answered arts policy questions. See next page. Richard Nolan (D - MN 08) - Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus and the STEAM Caucus - Cosigned a “Dear Colleague” letter on April 4, 2014 asking for increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts in FY 2015 - Voted for H.R. 4719 which would make permanent three critical charitable tax extenders Thanks to Americans for the Arts for this information. 1. Website: http://artsactionfund.org/pages/congressional-report-card OFFICE: US CONGRESS 2016 Congressional Candidate Survey In partnership with Americans for the Arts, MCA asked all candidates for Congress the following questions: Q1: What is your personal background and experience in the arts? Q2: What arts activities have you attended, participated in, or supported in the last year? Key: M = Music I = Instrumental V = Vocal VA = Visual Arts D = Dance T = Theater P = Photography L = Literary O = Other N = None Background: The budget of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) was cut in half during the 1990s. With its current funding of $148 million, the NEA spends just 46 cents per American - about the cost of a pack of gum. Q3: Would you support a plan to increase federal arts funding to the NEA to $1 per American, so that arts organizations in your state or district can present even more accessible arts programs for all of its residents? Background: With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states now have more responsibility for providing a well-rounded education - including the arts. In recent years, many schools have dramatically reduced the time spent teaching the arts in the classroom. Another new ESSA provision added the arts into federal Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs to make it STEAM in order to generate innovation and creative thinking for all career paths. Q4: Would you support fully funding and implementing the Well-Rounded Education provisions of ESSA to include data collection from states in order to demonstrate improved student access to the arts; as well as advocate for the integration of the arts into STEM education? Background: Nonprofit arts organizations are community-based charities that specifically rely on donations made by individual taxpayers for a quarter of their budgets on average. Q5: Would you support the preservation of the charitable tax deduction for nonprofit arts organizations? Background: Currently, art collectors can claim a fair market value tax deduction for works that they donate to cultural organizations, but artists can claim only the cost of materials when they donate work that they have created. Q6: Question: Would you support bipartisan legislation to correct this inequity and to ensure that museums, libraries, and other cultural organizations receive donations? Minnesota Congressional Candidate Responses Name/Party/District Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Terri Bonoff /D/ 3* O M, T Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Betty McCollum /D/ 4 T M,T,VA,D,L,O Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Keith Ellison /D/ 5 I, V, L M,T,VA,D,L Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Collin Peterson /D/ 7 I, V M, T, VA Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree *Terri Bonoff had additional comments to the following questions: Q#1: I am on the Guthrie Board, a past Art Adventure Guide at the Mia & my husband is on the Walker Board and past board member of the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. Q#3: I am proud of MN Legacy Amendment and am on the Legacy Subcommittee in the State Senate. Q#4: I am a Champion for STEAM! For more detailed information on these arts policy issues, please visit: www.ArtsActionFund.org/pages/LegislativePriorities 2. OFFICE: PRESIDENT Statements on the Arts Hillary Clinton, Democratic Candidate Hillary Clinton has a long public service history of supporting the arts. In 1999, Clinton won an Americans for the Arts National Arts Award for Arts Advocacy for her work as First Lady, including her support for the NEA and NEH, her leadership of projects such as the Millennium Coun- cil and Save America’s Treasures, and her collaboration with Americans for the Arts in unveiling its YouthArts USA program in 1997. As a senator from New York, Clinton was a member of the US Senate Cultural Caucus, was supportive of arts projects in New York and signed on as a Co-Sponsor of a bill that sup- ported tax deductions for artists’ gifts. In 2015, at a gathering at the University of Northern Iowa, Hillary Clinton was asked about her stance on arts education and the NEA. Clinton replied, “I support arts education; I support the National Endowment for the Arts. I was one of the leaders during the Clinton administration in trying to keep it alive when Newt Gingrich and others wanted to kill it because I really think that arts education is important on the merits. I was exposed to arts education in a public school system when I was coming up, and I’m no great artist, I think that’s probably well known to people, but it really gave me information and access to thinking about things differently than I would have, so I’m a strong supporter of the arts.” Donald Trump, Republican Candidate Before running for President, Donald Trump hosted reality TV shows “The Apprentice” and “The Celebrity Apprentice” for a combined 14 seasons. Trump also authored 16 books on financial advice, and has been featured in TV Shows and movies throughout the years. In 1980, while demolishing the Bonwit Teller Building, Trump promised two 15 foot tall panels featuring Art Deco designs to the Metropolitan Museum that were later destroyed due to project delays and costs. The Donald Trump Foundation has given at least $465,125 to arts-affiliated organizations between 1994 & 2010, however since 2008, Trump has personally given less than $10,000 in charitable contributions.