House and Senate negotiators were close Friday to finishing work on a bill creating a new Creative Industries Commission that would oversee state efforts to promote the arts. Brownback has argued that arts programs should rely more heavily on private funds, and last year, he vetoed the entire budget of the Arts Commission, making Kansas the only state to eliminate its arts funding. The governor hasn't backed away from his position on arts programs and says state tax dollars should be used for core government functions instead, Brownback spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag said. Sarah Carkhuff Fizell, a spokeswoman for Kansas Citizens for the Arts, said arts advocates hope the new jobs will allow the Creative Industries Commission to draft a plan to regain federal funding by mid-2013. Fizell said advocates remain concerned about a potential veto of the new commission's funding but are hopeful that Brownback won't eliminate the money, noting that "he decided to restart the conversation."
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