FY2010-2011 PA state budget effects Arts & Culture

(click here to read the full article: "FY2010-2011 PA state budget effects Arts & Culture") ·
posted by danceJournal on February 10, 2010

Governor Rendell at a recent joint session of the PA legislature presented his proposal for the FY2010-2011 state budget.

The budget, as Rendell proposed, tops out at $29 billion, and relies on $2.7 billion in continued federal stimulus money. In particular, Rendell asked the General Assembly to to rewrite the state’s sales tax structure, reducing it from 6 to 4 percent, but making it apply to a host of products and services that have been tax-free. New taxes would be imposed on cigars, smokeless tobacco, and natural gas.

As it stands, non-profit cultural institutions would still be exempt from the sales tax under his proposal. For-profit cultural institutions will be subject to the state sales tax. The revenue from these tax changes would be placed into a “Stimulus Transition Reserve Fund.” Other measures Rendell proposed were to cut the state’s Corporate Net Income tax paid by some businesses from 9.99 to 8.99 percent, while also eliminating what is known as the “Delaware Loophole” – a provision that allows companies to shelter profits from Pennsylvania taxes.

The budget was not immune from cuts, and many arts and cultural related programs saw their funding decrease. They are as follows: