California Arts Council faces budget cut

The California Arts Council -- already the lowest-funded state arts agency, per capita, in the nation -- will take a $17,000 cut under the 2007-08 proposed budget submitted Wednesday by Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Under the proposal, the budget will be slashed from $5,303,000 to $5,286,000. The biggest chunk of funding, $2.8 million, is expected to once again rely on motorists who voluntarily pay extra for arts-supporter license plates. The plan calls for $1.1 million in federal money, through the National Endowment for the Arts, and $1.2 million from the general fund fed by state tax revenue. The national per capita average is $1.10, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies; California spends about 14 cents.

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Mike Boehm