NEWS CENTER

*UPDATE* The bill has been voted out of the Commerce Committee as of 3/19/2021! Be sure to thank members of the Commerce Committee for their support of arts and culture!

HB 6119 is now being drafted, which means it is being prepared to send to the full legislature for a vote. But, the Commerce Committee must first vote by March 30th, 2021 to move it out of committee before it can be considered for the legislative calendar. If they don’t vote, the bill won’t advance.

We’re asking you to reach out to members of the Commerce Committee to urge them to bring the bill up for a vote.

Here’s what to say:

• Please bring HB 6119 up for a vote before the March 30th deadline so that this critical piece of legislation can move forward.

• HB 6119 provides much needed financial aid to the state’s arts, culture and tourism industries, which are critical to the state’s economy. Together, they represent 15% of the state’s total economy, generating billions of dollars and employing over 175,000 citizens directly.

• Like all parts of the economy, the arts and culture sectors have been hit hard by the pandemic.  Organizations were forced to reduce operations or shut down completely, resulting in layoffs, lost revenue and deficits that threaten permanent closure for many. The bill addresses these economic losses and positions these industries to be fully up to capacity once the pandemic is behind us.

• HB 6119 is not only critical to the recovery of the arts and culture industries, but to the recovery of Connecticut’s economy as a whole. Connecticut can’t recover without the arts!

• The bill is supported by the legislature’s Arts, Culture and Tourism Caucus, whose chairs recently sent a letter to their colleagues urging them to co-sponsor the bill.

• It is also supported by Connecticut Arts Alliance and the Connecticut Tourism Coalition, which represent the arts, culture and tourism industries in the state.

• This bill does not increase taxes on residents or visitors, or add additional cost to the State.

Ready to act? See who’s on the Commerce Committee and urge them to vote on HB 6119!