Raymond Ward // Republican // Utah House of Representatives District 19 (A+)

1. Should government invest in funding the arts and humanities at fiscally responsible levels?

Answer: Yes

2. Do you support investing money into K-12 arts and humanities education at fiscally responsible levels?

Answer: Yes

3. Do you believe that arts and humanities education should be required in the k-12 curriculum?

Answer: Yes

4. Do you consider the arts and culture sector to be an economic driver in Utah?

Answer: Yes

5. Do you support Utah's Percent-for-Art Act, which designates 1% of public building costs for public art?

Answer: Yes

6. Do you support preserving the Utah Historic Preservation Tax Credit?

Answer: Yes

7. Do you support policy that positively impacts tourism, such as the creation of historic and cultural districts?

Answer: Yes

8. Have you had a personal experience with arts, culture, or humanities that has had an impact on your life? Please explain. (responses to this question were not graded)

Answer: I went down to the opening of the BDAC high school art exhibit for 2018 yesterday.  It was great!  We bought a painting done by Pablo Cruz who goes to Bountiful High.  I will hang it in my medical office with some that we have gotten in previous years from the high school competition.  Patients really like to see art done by our local high school students.

Explanations or Comments: 

On your question about arts being required in the curriculum -- I wasn't quite sure what you meant.  I agree that the arts should be required to be available in the curriculum.  I don't agree that each student should be required to take arts classes (schedules are really tight and I think we should be careful to allow students flexibility in what they want to have in their schedules).