Steve Waldrip // Republican // State House-District 8

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

I grew up with theater as a part of my life. My parents have long directed, written, produced, sung and acted in plays, musical groups, etc. While the talent gods chose to skip a generation with me, two of my children are similarly inclined. My parents founded and have run the High Valley Arts Foundation for the last 12 years. We are patrons there, as well as the Hale Theater, Weber State concert series, and other efforts. I am a great appreciator of the arts, and a firm believer in the power of the arts to change lives.

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

-Existing fund balances that will be preserved for recreation, cultural organizations, and parks

-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

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

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

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

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

Providing appropriate support to community-based programs that have established networks of support, and assisting new organizations to develop community support.