Two updates to share:
1.
Please find
a final copy of the Senate FY23 arts funding
request letter. Forty-four Democrats signed the letter, including
Senators Manchin and Sinema. (Unlike the House NEA letter, the Senate
arts letter did not have a Republican co-lead, which is largely why no
Senate Republicans signed. Also, unlike the House NEA letter, the Senate
letter was for NEA and NEH.)
Thanks
again to the AEMI unions who promoted the Action Network petition on
social media and in emails to your members. Collectively, we generated
4,000 emails to members of Congress. The Action Network petition will
remain live, but DPE will not be promoting it.
2. Yesterday, Jennifer participated in a listening session with Chair Jackson and NEA staff where she was asked to provide feedback on the NEA's Equity Action Plan from a worker perspective. According to the NEA, a recording of the session will be posted on the agency's website in the coming days.
In
her remarks, Jennifer reiterated the AEMI's commitment to advancing
diversity, equity, and inclusion and commended the NEA for
including improved data collection in its Equity Action Plan. Jennifer
also reminded the NEA that the arts can only achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion goals if all people have an opportunity to earn a living as arts professionals, stressing that "the NEA’s prevailing wage protections must be seen as foundational to implementing its Equity Action Plan successfully."
