Keith Langseth (DFL) Incumbent
Did not respond to survey.

1. Minnesota’s nearly 1600 non-profit arts organizations provide access to the arts and support quality of life in every corner of the state. While providing over 22,000 jobs, arts organizations served nearly 12.3 million people in 2009.

Question: What arts activities have you attended, participated in or supported in the last year?Music, Theater, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Dance, Other

Answer: Music, Theater, Visual Arts

2. What’s on your iPod?

Answer: (ZUNE) Elvis, Tina Turner, Neil Diamond, Train, James Blunt, Michael Buble, Bob Segar, Adam Lambert, Cat Stevens

3. The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, passed by 56% of the voters in November 2008, created the new Arts and Culture Fund. The constitutional amendment stated that these funds “may be spent only for arts, arts education, and arts access and to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage.” It also states that “The dedicated money under this section must supplement traditional sources of funding for these purposes and may not be used as a substitute.” MCA led the arts community campaign to pass the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment so that all Minnesotans would get access to the arts via the grants and services of the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Council system, which ensures that people in all 87 counties get access to the arts.

Question: Will you support at least 50% of the Arts and Culture Fund being dedicated to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Council system, to ensure that all Minnesotans have access to the arts, regardless of their geographic location, through grants that reach all 87 Minnesota counties?

Enthusiastically Support; Support; Neutral; Opposed

Answer: Support

4. Nonprofit, tax exempt organizations provide social services, health services, education and arts to the public. Under Minnesota law, nonprofit organizations have been free from paying sales or property taxes because their services benefit the public.

Question: Do you agree or disagree that nonprofit organizations should continue to be free from paying taxes?

Agree; Disagree; No Opinion

Answer: Agree

5. Research shows that students with high levels of arts participation outperform other students on virtually every measure from standardized tests to community participation, and that learning through the arts has a significant effect on learning in other areas, particularly in the early years. The arts are required both by No Child Left Behind and also by Minnesota’s student academic standards, but our schools are not required to report how they are meeting those standards.

Question: Would you support policies to increase accountability for school standards in the arts?

Enthusiastically Support, Support, Neutral, Opposed

Answer: Enthusiastically Support

6. Comments: We would welcome any additional comments you would like to make with regards to the arts in Minnesota. Please use additional pages as necessary.

I would like to comment on question #4 regarding tax free status, I agree with legislation passed in 2009 that set forth the “North Star” factors as the basis for determining tax free status. The arts are a very important component in society, when people are looking at quality of life they often include the various arts, we need to encourage people to get involved and partake in the arts community.

Morrie Lanning (GOP) Incumbent

1. Minnesota’s nearly 1600 non-profit arts organizations provide access to the arts and support quality of life in every corner of the state. While providing over 22,000 jobs, arts organizations served nearly 12.3 million people in 2009.Question: What arts activities have you attended, participated in or supported in the last year?Music, Theater, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Dance, Other

Answer: No Response

2. What’s on your iPod?

Answer: No Response

3. The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, passed by 56% of the voters in November 2008, created the new Arts and Culture Fund. The constitutional amendment stated that these funds “may be spent only for arts, arts education, and arts access and to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage.” It also states that “The dedicated money under this section must supplement traditional sources of funding for these purposes and may not be used as a substitute.” MCA led the arts community campaign to pass the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment so that all Minnesotans would get access to the arts via the grants and services of the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Council system, which ensures that people in all 87 counties get access to the arts.

Question: Will you support at least 50% of the Arts and Culture Fund being dedicated to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Council system, to ensure that all Minnesotans have access to the arts, regardless of their geographic location, through grants that reach all 87 Minnesota counties?

Enthusiastically Support; Support; Neutral; Opposed

Answer: No Response

4. Nonprofit, tax exempt organizations provide social services, health services, education and arts to the public. Under Minnesota law, nonprofit organizations have been free from paying sales or property taxes because their services benefit the public.

Question: Do you agree or disagree that nonprofit organizations should continue to be free from paying taxes?

Agree; Disagree; No Opinion

Answer: No Response

5. Research shows that students with high levels of arts participation outperform other students on virtually every measure from standardized tests to community participation, and that learning through the arts has a significant effect on learning in other areas, particularly in the early years. The arts are required both by No Child Left Behind and also by Minnesota’s student academic standards, but our schools are not required to report how they are meeting those standards.

Question: Would you support policies to increase accountability for school standards in the arts?

Enthusiastically Support, Support, Neutral, Opposed

Answer: No Response

6. Comments: We would welcome any additional comments you would like to make with regards to the arts in Minnesota. Please use additional pages as necessary.

I continue to be an advocate and supporter of funding for the arts.  While I am willing to answer any questions for anyone who contacts me, it has been my practice to not complete any formal candidate surveys.

Paul Marquart (DFL) Incumbent

1. Minnesota’s nearly 1600 non-profit arts organizations provide access to the arts and support quality of life in every corner of the state. While providing over 22,000 jobs, arts organizations served nearly 12.3 million people in 2009.

Question: What arts activities have you attended, participated in or supported in the last year?Music, Theater, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Dance, Other

Answer: Music, Theater, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Dance

2. What’s on your iPod?

Answer: Do not have one.

3. The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment, passed by 56% of the voters in November 2008, created the new Arts and Culture Fund. The constitutional amendment stated that these funds “may be spent only for arts, arts education, and arts access and to preserve Minnesota’s history and cultural heritage.” It also states that “The dedicated money under this section must supplement traditional sources of funding for these purposes and may not be used as a substitute.” MCA led the arts community campaign to pass the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment so that all Minnesotans would get access to the arts via the grants and services of the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Council system, which ensures that people in all 87 counties get access to the arts.

Question: Will you support at least 50% of the Arts and Culture Fund being dedicated to the Minnesota State Arts Board and Regional Arts Council system, to ensure that all Minnesotans have access to the arts, regardless of their geographic location, through grants that reach all 87 Minnesota counties?

Enthusiastically Support; Support; Neutral; Opposed

Answer: Support

4. Nonprofit, tax exempt organizations provide social services, health services, education and arts to the public. Under Minnesota law, nonprofit organizations have been free from paying sales or property taxes because their services benefit the public.

Question: Do you agree or disagree that nonprofit organizations should continue to be free from paying taxes?

Agree; Disagree; No Opinion

Answer: Agree

5. Research shows that students with high levels of arts participation outperform other students on virtually every measure from standardized tests to community participation, and that learning through the arts has a significant effect on learning in other areas, particularly in the early years. The arts are required both by No Child Left Behind and also by Minnesota’s student academic standards, but our schools are not required to report how they are meeting those standards.

Question: Would you support policies to increase accountability for school standards in the arts?

Enthusiastically Support, Support, Neutral, Opposed

Answer: Support

6. Comments: We would welcome any additional comments you would like to make with regards to the arts in Minnesota. Please use additional pages as necessary.