Minnesota Vote Citizens for the Arts Legislative Candidate Survey 2014 smART! The election on November 4, 2014 will have a huge impact on the arts in our state and our country. If you agree with thousands of Minnesotans who believe the arts matter, you’ll want to know where the candidates stand. Visit the Secretary of State’s website to fnd your district and where to vote: http://pollfnder.sos.state.mn.us/ READ: We’ve asked all legislative candidates questions about current arts issues so you can see their responses. Due to limited space, comments were limited to 3 sentences. To see full responses visit our website at www.mncitizensforthearts.org/actnow/legislatorsupport ARTS 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: Like our page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @MNCitizen, and visit our website www.mncitizensforthearts.org to sign up for MCA Arts Alerts. ASK: If your candidates did not 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 dedicated funding for the arts in the Minnesota State Constitution for 25 years. MINNESOTA CITIZENS FOR THE ARTS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF ARTS ADVOCACY! 1974-2014 Nation-leading statewide advocacy efforts have increased access to the arts MCA is celebrating 40 years as the oldest and most successful state arts advocacy organization in the country. From its small beginnings in 1974 when annual state funding for the arts was just $300,000, MCA has helped increase state investments in the arts, catapulting Minnesota ahead of its peers to become the nation’s leader in per capita arts funding. Over those 40 years, MCA has fueled Minnesota’s national reputation as a hotbed of creative activity and high quality of life. The MCA model is to advocate for policies that ensure that regardless of where you live in the state you have access to the arts. Resources reach organizations, artists, audiences and school children in every corner of the state through the unique competitive grant-making system of the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Councils, which MCA helped to create. “By achieving significant policy victories for artists Legacy Amendment a Historic Victory and cultural organizations, MCA has become a Because of MCA, Minnesota is unique in the national model in the arts advocacy movement country for having dedicated funding for the and has significantly expanded access to and arts in its state constitution. MCA led the cultural involvement in the arts for all people in Minnesota,” community in joining a coalition of hunting and said Ra Joy, Executive Director, Arts Alliance Illinois. angling, conservation, clean water and parks and trails advocates to pass the groundbreaking Many Accomplishments Legacy Amendment through which the citizens In addition to arts funding, MCA advocated for and of Minnesota voted to ensure 25 years of has protected the state’s “Percent for Art in Public dedicated funding for the nonprofit arts. Places” program, which acquires works of art to be exhibited in and around the public areas of state “MN Citizens for the Arts is a national leader in the buildings. MCA has also been a vigilant watchdog field of arts advocacy and citizen engagement,” for the nonprofit arts sector, passing a sales tax confirms Donna S. Collins, Executive Director Ohio exemption for nonprofit tickets and protecting other Arts Council. “They involve people of all ages and vital nonprofit tax exemptions. In addition, MCA has walks of life who are interested in supporting and been active in protecting artists rights by opposing participating in arts, culture, and arts education. censorship and passing a consignment law to protect The voice of all citizens is represented in the work artists’ works if galleries go bankrupt. Another of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts.” signature accomplishment was MCA’s role in the creation of the state’s eleven Regional Arts Councils Award Winning which ensure access to the arts across the state. MCA received a 2003 Sally Ordway Irvine Award for Commitment, and in 2012 was recognized by Philanthropedia and Guidestar as “Top Nonprofit” for its role in increasing access to the arts in Minnesota. Minnesota Congressional Candidate Survey In partnerhsip with Americans for the Arts, MCA asked all candidates for Congress to respond to 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 = Voice D = Dance VA = Visual Arts 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 $146 million, the NEA spends just 46 cents per American - about the cost of a pack of gum. Q3: Do you support a significant funding increase for the NEA, so that arts organizations in your district can present more high quality arts programs for all of its citizens? Background: The Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) defines the arts as a core academic subject, allowing school districts to use federal funding for arts education instruction. However, implementation of ESEA (also refered to as No Child Left Behind) has dramatically reduced the time spent teaching the arts around the country and increased the need for federal-level research measuring the status and condition of the arts. Q4: Do you support strengthening arts education and research through the ESEA reauthorization process? Background: Nonprofit arts organizations are community-based charities that specifically rely on donations made by individual taxpayers for 24 percent (on average) of their budgets. Q5: Do you support the preservation of the charitable tax deduction incentives for the nonprofit arts? 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: Do 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 Sharon Sund (D - MN 03) V, D, T, L M, VA, D Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Betty McCollum (D - MN 04) T M, T, VA, D, L Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Doug Daggett (R - MN 05) O M, T Disagree Disagree Agree Undecided Keith Ellison (D - MN 05) I, L M, T, VA, D, L Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Strongly Agree Collin Peterson (D - MN 07) I, V M, T, VA, D, L Agree Agree Strongly Agree Agree For more detailed information on these arts policy issues, please visit: www.ArtsActionFund.org/pages/LegislativePriorities Americans For The Arts 2014 House Report Card Highlights Incumbent MN Members of Congress Running for Re-Election 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 John Kline (R - MN 02) - Voted for H.R. 4719 which would make permanent three critical charitable tax extenders - 2012 AFTA grade: F 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+ Richard Nolan (D - MN 08) - Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus and the STEAM Caucus - Cosigned a “Dear Colleague” letter asking for increased funding for the NEA and NEH - Voted for H.R. 4719 which would make permanent three critical charitable tax extenders 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+ 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+ Timothy Walz (D - MN 01) - Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus - Cosigned five “Dear Colleague” letters in 2013 and 2014 asking for increased funding f or the NEA and NEH, and “robust” funding for the Office of Museum Services - Voted for H.R. 4719 which would make permanent three critical