WHEREAS, Arts are not only an impressive and important agent for economic development, but also impact societal issues that include health, corrections, housing, immigration, veterans, transportation and education; and

WHEREAS, It is imperative for all children and youth in the state to have access to arts education in their schools; and

WHEREAS, California is the fifth largest economy in the world, with a creative economy totaling $407.1 billion in 2017; and

WHEREAS, California employs a higher number of people in creative industries, such as architecture, entertainment, fashion, media, and publishing, than any other state in the nation, according to the 2018 Otis Report on the Creative Economy of California; and

WHEREAS, In a state as diverse as California, the arts serve to give voice to our many communities, spark individual creativity, foster empathy and understanding, spur civic engagement, and serve as a continual source of personal enrichment, inspiration, and growth; and

WHEREAS, State support for the arts, arts education, and cultural institutions is crucial in order to achieve equitable access to the arts throughout California; now, therefore, be it