WHAT IS ACCESS FOR ALL?
Ten years in the making, Access for All is a King County ballot initiative to increase funding for arts, science, and heritage organizations throughout King County. Access for All is a county-wide continuation of the multi-year, state-wide campaign called Cultural Access Washington, or CAWA. Last summer, CAWA advocates were successful in advocating for the passage of new legislation that would allow counties in Washington State to vote on a sales tax levy of 0.01% (one penny per $10) for art and culture funding in their county—just $2 per month for the average taxpayer.
Now, Access for All is building on that success by leading a campaign to put an arts funding measure on the August 2017 ballot for King County. This moment is critical for the future of arts, science, and heritage education in King County and we need your help! The King County Council is deliberating right now on whether to send this issue to a public vote. Your voice can have tremendous impact at this moment!
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?
1) Write and call your King County Council members this weekend, and tell them you support Access for All! You can look up your county district councilmember here, and write them directly through Access for All’s website.
2) Write a letter to the editor of your local news outlet about why arts, science and heritage education is important for our community. (It’s important to talk about all three disciplines, not just one!)
3) Use your own social media! Talk to your personal networks about arts, science and heritage education and why Access for All matters.
Time is of the essence: April 17 is a key deadline. That’s when the Council will be meeting to vote on whether this measure will be included on the August 2017 ballot. If we’re voted down, we’d have to try again for the next ballot cycle and risk losing critical support and momentum while we waited.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT FOR KING COUNTY?
Nonprofit arts, heritage, and scientific organizations of every size throughout the county would receive significant support to increase their public benefits, access, equity and education activities. At a time when arts and humanities funding is threatened across our nation, Access for All represents a critical opportunity to stand up for cultural expression, to advance our county’s arts and culture ecosystem, and to close the opportunity gaps for marginalized students and families all across King County.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT FOR TOWN HALL?
Town Hall stands strongly in support of Access for All. In addition to strengthening partnerships with organizations throughout King County, this initiative would provide Town Hall reliable, sustainable, and significant support to expand access to our programs and fund more youth and in-school education.
