The Governor’s Revised May Budget on May 14, 2003 proposed a further 25% cut in the CAC’s 2003 / 2004 FY budget (for a total cut of 75% from the current year budget). The Artists in Residence, State Local Partners, Folk Arts, and Special Initiatives programs are to be zeroed out and eliminated. The Organizational Support (including MultiCultural Arts) and Arts in Education Programs will be reduced by 75% from the current year funding. Half of the agency’s staffing positions will be eliminated.

In late May 2003, the California Arts Council budget went through the Assembly Commiittee and the Senate Committee, both groups have increased the governor's original cuts in some areas.

Because of letters, faxes and calls from the arts community, the Conference Committee left the CAC budget open. The Conference Committee has recessed for now and have turned everything over to the "Big 5" (Governor
Gray Davis, Senators Burton and Brulte and Assemblymembers Wesson and Cox) for further discussion and negotiation.  There is still time to convince
legislators that the Arts are important!

ACTION:  Write the Big 5! 
Your letters, faxes, e-mails and calls have brought the CAC budget farther than anyone first imagined. 

Thanks to the California Arts Advocates and California Asian American Pacific Islander Arts Network (CAAPIAN) for sample letters and excellent work in getting the word out in the community and for providing the info for Great Leap's Advocacy section of the website.

Sample letters:
June 13, 2003 (APA sample ltrs to Big 5)