New York State lawmakers are past the April 1 deadline to finalize the state budget, which determines funding for essential services across New York, including arts and culture. As negotiations continue, legislators are also deciding on a few key policy issues tied to the budget.

Now is the time to act. As state legislators work to get the budget across the finish line, dance workers have the opportunity to educate lawmakers on three urgent issues that will impact our communities, classrooms, and cultural ecosystem.

What you can do

1. Sign on to a letter sharing the impact of state funding for arts and culture. The state budget includes funding for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), which supports dance and other arts organizations across the state. Lawmakers are currently negotiating a higher State Senate proposal and a lower State Assembly proposal. Share why strong public investment in arts and culture is essential to sustaining the organizations, artists, and communities that make New York vibrant.
    
2. Support arts education through an equitable Foundation Aid Formula. The Foundation Aid Formula determines how education funding is distributed to public schools across New York State, including funding that helps make arts education possible. Share the importance of a formula that is fair, equitable, and responsive to student needs, so every student has access to a robust arts education.
    
3. Tell lawmakers about the New York for All Act. The New York for All Act is one of several policy issues currently wrapped into state budget negotiations. This would prohibit local and state law enforcement from collaborating with federal immigration enforcement, helping protect immigrant New Yorkers from surveillance, detention, and deportation. Share how immigrant communities are vital to the cultural life of our city and state, and they deserve safety and dignity.

New York’s budget decisions shape the conditions under which dance workers, students, and communities can live, work, and create. 

SUPPORT STATE FUNDING FOR CULTURE

SUPPORT EQUITABLE EDUCATION FUNDING

SUPPORT NEW YORK FOR ALL