I just received the following legislative update and call for action from
our School of the Arts.  Please note that I cannot vouch for its accuracy.
However, you may wish to check it out with your arts and humanities faculty
and share this information on your campus.
>
> Subject: National Endowment for the Arts Vote
>
>           The following information is part of a telefacsimile that came
to
>           the School of the Arts from the South Carolina Arts Alliance
this
>           morning.  If you are interested in supporting the National
>           Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the
>           Humanities, please continue to read this message.
>
>
>           CALL TO ACTION:
>
>           BACKGROUND:  On July 10, by a vote of 217 - 216, the House
>           leadership succeeded in using parliamentary maneuvers to
>           essentially eliminate the NEA.  Conservative Republican
>           leadership pressured enough moderate Republicans to switch
their
>           votes in favor of a procedural rule that prohibited attempts to

>           restore funding for the NEA.  The rule that passed on Thursday
is
>           such that just one member of the House could eliminate the $10
>           million that was previously approved by the House
Appropriations
>           Committee.  Representative Phil. Crane (R-Il), the sponsor of
>           legislation to eliminate the NEA, successfully moved to
eliminate
>           this $10 million funding level.
>
>           On July 11th, came consideration of the Ehlers Amendment.  This

>           time, the arts community scored a victory - the amendment was
>           held out to Republican moderates as a compromise, but it was to

>           eliminate the NEA with an $80 million "pay-off" in federal
funds
>           in a block grant - 37% of the funds going to the state arts
>           agencies, 60% going to school districts (about $500 per school
>           district with no matching funds or accountability) and 3% for
>           administration.  Even the state arts commissions did not
support
>           this plan.)  Immediately after the Ehlers Amendment was
defeated,
>           Representative Steve Chabot introduced an amendment to
eliminate
>           the NEH, which had been allocated $110 million by the
>           Appropriations Committee.
>
>           The vote on the Chabot Amendment and final passage of the FY'98

>           Interior Bill (House version) are scheduled for TUESDAY.
Because
>           this bill currently stands at zero funding for the NEA, it is
>           actually believed the NEA will help to defeat final passage of
>           this House bill.  It would then require the House leadership to

>           find another compromise on the arts funding issue or allow for
a
>           fair vote on funding the NEA.  The action will move to the
Senate
>           in less than 2 weeks!
>
>           HOW YOU CAN HELP BY TUESDAY, JULY 15TH
>
>           In the House:
>
>                1.   Contact your Representative and urge him to vote
>           AGAINST the House Interior Appropriations Bill on the basis
that
>           it eliminates the NEA.
>
>                2.   Ask your Representative to vote AGAINST the Chabot
>           Amendment that eliminates funding the NEH.
>
>
>           In the Senate:
>
>                1.   Contact senators and ask them to support funding the
NEA at the $136 million level requested by
>           the President.

Barbara H. Gray                            Telephone:   803-953-5673
Director of Sponsored Programs      Fax:            803-953-6577
College of Charleston                     e-mail:         xxxxxx@cofc.edu
Charleston, SC  29424                   Location:     407G Bell Building