His plans to trim $11.5 million from the state budget would eviscerate the state’s new Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, designed to help arts employers pay workers a fair wage.

Photo: California Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Photo by Gage Skidmore)

LOS ANGELES: Performing arts workers across California are expressing dismay at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May Revision proposal, which includes the reversal of funds previously committed to California’s recently instituted Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund in the form of a proposed $11.5 million cut. 

This comes on top of a troubling trend of deep cuts to arts and culture funding in California, which represents only a small fraction of California’s budget; this past year the arts received around $26 million out of a budget of more than $320 billion.

“We understand that the state faces a challenging budget deficit and are prepared to support you in making difficult decisions,” Theater Producers of Southern California board vice president Beatrice Casagran said in a statement addressed to the governor. “However, the proposed clawback of 100 percent of the state’s entire investment in the Payroll Fund will eradicate six years of bipartisan legislative efforts to address cascading negative impacts that have led to dire economic instability for workers in the live arts.”