Lucas Ramirez // Democrat // Utah House District 48

  • How have the arts, culture, and/or humanities impacted your life?
    • The arts, music in particular, have played a major part in shaping my life and family. Music has been a consistent presence in my life since I began playing the saxophone in elementary school. It was in high school marching band where I met my wife. All four of our kids have been involved in music, as well as other arts programs in their schools and the community, including jazz/symphonic/marching bands, orchestra, drama and community plays, poetry club, art classes, etc. Some of our favorite activities to do together as a family are attending concerts and plays. The arts is something we all have in common and it brings us closer together as a family. I love seeing how the great programs we have here in Utah can do the same on a community level.
  • 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
  • Fiscally responsible government investment in the arts and humanities (including humanities and arts education) means to me:
    • Fiscal responsibility requires the expenditure of funds to provide meaningful experiences for the community. In order to ensure that the arts continue within the community, we must invest in the future. Educational programs, beginning in grade school, must have the needed resources to invite, teach and inspire the next generation of artists.
  • 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
    • 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
  • Anything else we should know about you?
    • No answer given