The State of Florida is currently negotiating the budget that will be passed on July 1, 2025. Last year, for the first time ever, State funding for arts and culture was vetoed and reduced from $32 million to $0. This year, the Senate has recommended $23.3 million while the House of Representatives is suggesting arts and culture organizations receive significantly lower amount of $13 million. Currently, in the House recommendation, your Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra would receive zero dollars.
How To Help
Contact your State Legislators
Today is the last day for arts advocacy at the State level! Please contact Senate and House full committee chairs as early as possible today, Friday, June 6.
Using the Directory below (Look at the tabs labeled “Emails House/Senate Conference Members“) contact Senate and House Conference Chairs and “members at large”, thank them for their leadership and ask them to fund at the highest level they may to restore arts and culture funding and to protect the integrity of the panel rankings. You can also copy your Representative and Senator.
Scroll down for the email template to copy and paste. You can send one email and BCC all committee members to make things easier:
Thank you for your help in advocating for 650 arts and culture organizations in Florida!
Email Template
Dear Chair (Hooper) (McClure);
Thank you for your leadership in this long and laborious session.
We implore you to fund at the highest levels you may for the rigorously vetted ranked recommended Cultural and Museum Grants (including $5 Million in proviso), Culture Builds Florida Grants (and possibly increasing to fund all 18 grants at $432,000) and Cultural Facilities when sending back your first offer.
The $5 Million you included for Cultural and Museum Grants in proviso funds has the potential to support up to 466 (with passing scores of 85 to 94.9) at 12.8% of their request.
Additionally, and extremely importantly, please preserve back of bill language protecting the integrity of the panel rankings for these matching grants.
Below are the comparisons of funding recommendations between the first two offers.
Thank you so much for your work and the support and consideration you’ve given to your arts and culture constituency and Floridians’ quality of life.
Sincerely,