Fatima Dirie // Democrat // Utah House District 33 (A)
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How have the arts, culture, and/or humanities impacted your life?
- The arts have given me an in depth understanding of my culture, and has helped define me as an individual. They have also empowered me to connect artistically, culturally, and professionally with my community, who I am seeking to represent in the State House. This invaluable connection is due in part to the wonderful connection I have found with my heritage thanks to the arts.
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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
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Fiscally responsible government investment in the arts and humanities (including humanities and arts education) means to me:
- Fiscally responsible government investment in the arts is an essential part of our community. We need to make sure that individuals are able to celebrate their unique heritage in a variety of different ways, and this is an excellent method of helping create a sense of community in the various groups that live in the state of Utah.
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I support the following legislative items:
- 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 (non-profit and for-profit)
- Fiscally responsible government investment in arts and humanities organizations.
- Development of 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.).
- Percent for public art programs, which optionally designate 1% of government capital costs for public art
- 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
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Anything else we should know about you?
- I am excited to work with the Utah Cultural Alliance through this campaign process, the work done here is incredibly important for our communities, and I look forward to collaborating with all of you in the state house!
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