David Leavitt // Republican // State: Attorney General

1. How have the arts, culture, and/or humanities impacted your life?

My life wouldn't be the same without them. I grew up playing the piano, french horn, singing. Later in life I learned to play the organ. I am a season ticket holder to cultural events, and attend cultural events around the world when my work takes me to different parts of the world.

2. Utah's humanities and arts employ 123,000 Utahns, provide $4.4 billion in earnings, and $13.2 billion in sales. This is a larger economic impact than agriculture, mining, and real estate. Do you consider the arts and cultural sector an economic driver in Utah?

Yes

3. I support...

-Grants to be used for operations (jobs) as soon as possible

-Keeping emergency loans open to nonprofits

-Protecting the RAP taxes so that money granted to cultural organizations doesn't get repurposed

-Increasing availability of loans to cultural businesses (nonprofit and for-profit)

-Fiscally responsible government investment in arts and humanities organizations

-Cultural Districts

-Facilitating partnerships between tourism and culture

-Reducing regulations of creative businesses

-Capital investment (in museums, performance/concert halls, studios, galleries, nonprofit office space, etc.)

-The RAP tax

-The RAP taxes which are decided by voters

-Allowing municipalities to set design standards

-K-6 Students should have increased exposure to arts and humanities education

-7-12 Students should have increased exposure to arts and humanities education

-I support the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program which puts one arts specialist in most elementary schools

-I support the POPS (Professional Outreach Program in the Schools) which sends 13 professional arts organizations to all UT school districts

-I support the iSEE (Informal Science Educational Enhancement) which sends 10 professional science, zoological, and natural history organizations to all UT school districts

4. I oppose...

-Percent for public art programs, which optionally designate 1% of government capital costs for public art

**because while I believe in the importance of investment in art in public buildings, I think it should be monitored on a capital project by capital project basis

5. Fiscally responsible government investment in the arts and humanities (including humanities and arts education) means to me:

I value ballet and concert halls over baseball parks. Each has a role in our society, but fiscal responsibility does not mean that we fail to recognize government's role in funding that which makes us more humane as a people.

6. I will...

-Ensure existing fund balances are preserved for recreation, cultural organizations, and parks

-Make sure that the arts and humanities receive at least a 1/3 of RAP revenues