Fate of Cultural Affairs before panel today

Supporters of the Department of Cultural Affairs are expected to turn out in force today to oppose legislation folding the department into the Secretary of State's office.

The proposal in AB507 was authored by Secretary of State Ross Miller, who argues the move would return the archives and record keeping functions now at Cultural Affairs to the place where they were historically until the department was created by his father, Gov. Bob Miller, in 1993.

In the process, he said the move would save about

$2 million over the biennium by eliminating 11 positions in the Cultural Affairs director's office.

Miller said the money could be used to restore funding in other areas of the department's budget. But in addition to Archives and Records, that would put the state library system, Historic Preservation Office and all of its museums under Miller's control.

Cultural Affairs Director Mike Fischer said he doesn't believe the plan makes sense. Fischer also said he doesn't believe the savings would amount to anything near

$2 million because, unless Miller's current staff doesn't have anything to do, much of the staff he proposes cutting would have to be kept on to do what they now do.

He said the move would seriously reduce the department's ability to advocate for the arts.

"What we have is the ability to go out and advocate for our constituencies," he said.

Fischer said Miller or any other secretary of state would be in more of a bind doing that because they would be an elected official going out asking for donations.

He said he doesn't question Miller's interest in history, the arts and the department's other programs.

"But there's no guarantee the next Secretary of State will have any interest in what we do," he said adding that's one reason archives and records was moved out of the Secretary of State's office.

Miller's response was to point to the deep cuts in the Cultural Affairs budgets ordered by Gov. Jim Gibbons: "What if we get a governor that labels them non-essential and wants to cut their budgets by 50 percent?"

The governor's recommended budget would cut Archives and Records by 47 percent, the library's literacy program by 90 percent and eliminate the Nevada Humanities program altogether. Overall, the department's General Fund budget would be slashed by 39.7 percent from $31.7 million to just $19.1 million, forcing the elimination of 66 out of 187 positions within the department.

"We can certainly do it at a level of efficiency that would be less detrimental to the agency than if they carry out these budget cuts," said Miller.

He said the savings he projects would materialize because duties of existing Cultural Affairs staff including personnel and accounting would be picked up by his existing staff.

"Those professionals are all personnel we have within our existing team," he said.

"In terms of mission and accomplishments, there would be a major drag on what we're doing right now," said Fischer. "He has elections and lots of other things he does. This is what we live for. This is my passion."

Fischer said the governor's budget is "bare bones" but that he left in place the structure to allow Cultural Affairs to be restored when money is available.

The department's budget hearing in February drew a crowd of more than 50 advocates for the agency's programs.

Many of those advocates are expected back when the proposal goes before the Assembly Ways and Means Committee this morning.

- Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.

WHAT: Assembly Ways and Means Committee hearing on AB507

WHEN: 8 a.m., today

WHERE: Legislative Building, room 3137