Oregon Humanities

Crucial House Decision on Funding for the Humanities

In the coming days, the House of Representatives will be voting on an appropriations bill that proposes FY 2011 budget cuts to dozens of federal agencies, including the National Endowment for the Humanities. In the proposed mid-year budget, the NEH would sustain a loss of at least $12 million; this amount could be as high as $25 million (15 percent of the NEH’s current annual budget).

Less funding for the NEH means fewer conversations, fewer discussions, fewer opportunities to think, reflect, and respond to the issues that affect Oregon communities.

Debate about this proposal begins early next week. Please take action now: follow this link and send a customizable letter to your legislators voicing your support for the humanities and urging them to retain funding for the NEH. Feel free to insert the following paragraph—or your own—testifying to the importance of Oregon Humanities’ work.

“This year alone Oregon Humanities reached 60,000 Oregonians: high-achieving and at-risk youth examined issues of consumer culture, the economy, politics, and religion; community members in thirty-one counties discussed democracy, immigration, and the environment; low-income adults learned about the relationship between power and justice.”

11 February 2011 | Permalink | Comments? (1 so far)