Permanent Arts Worker Program

The public wants, needs, & demands art, and LIT believes a strong society must properly support those who make that art.

The creation of a New York works progress program, as set out in S1141/A2409, would be a strong step toward making a life as an artist viable for many more New Yorkers.

Works programs are a proven model for economic regeneration across all sectors, as shown in the success of the WPA, created in 1939 as a response to the Great Depression. That WPA directly lead to the employment of millions of Americans and kickstarted an American Cultural Golden Age.

Legislation:

• Senate Bill S1141A (Sponsor: May)
  Assembly Bill A02409 (Sponsor: Fahy)

  Creates the Works Progress Administration - Pandemic Response to commission live performance as well as other arts and infrastructure projects.

New York Health Act

We call for the passage of the New York Health Act, which would create a universal single-payer healthcare system for all of New York State.

Our current insurance patchwork of union, marketplace, Medicaid, and Medicare still leaves too many uninsured. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on this insurance system during a health crisis.

Removing the cost of healthcare entirely from workers and guaranteeing coverage is a key step to protecting the lives of performing arts workers and providing sustainability in their career.

Legislation:

• Senate Bill S4840 (Sponsor: Rivera)
  Assembly Bill A4738 (Sponsor: Gottfried)
  Creates a comprehensive single-payer healthcare system.

Good Cause Eviction

Artists, and New Yorkers in general, are famously itinerant for a number of good reasons—the whims of unscrupulous landlords should not be one of them.

We feel strongly that our membership, as working artists, and indeed all New Yorkers, have the right to stable, safe, affordable housing. S3082/A5573, the Good Cause Eviction bill, would give renters much-needed basic protections.

Legislation:

• Senate Bill S3082 (Sponsor: Salazar)
  Assembly Bill A5573 (Sponsor: Hunter)
  Prohibits eviction of residential tenants without good cause.

REOPENING GRANTS
AND GUIDANCE

We call upon the state to provide clear guidance as to the public health criteria used to make reopening decisions.

We also call upon the state and the city to provide grants to assist with reopening costs (including the costs of PPE and modifications to venues) and comprehensive guidelines.

We call upon Empire State Development Corporation to clarify that nonprofits can access to the $800M small business recovery funds allocated in the FY2021 budget.

We also call upon NYSCA to equitably distribute the $40M in nonprofit arts recovery funds allocated in the FY2021 budget, centering the needs of marginalized communities and removing the barriers to application.

For audiences to return, they will need confidence that theaters are safe. Theaters - who have been paying rent and unable to collect revenue - will face additional costs to reopen again.

OPEN CULTURE

Status: Initial Legislation Passed!

The Open Culture program allows for artists to apply for $20 permits to perform outdoors in Open Streets or spaces approved by City Councilmembers. It also directs the City to create an app for audiences to find Open Culture performances.

Facing the possibility of a year or more until audiences can truly engage with performance indoors, this permit allows opportunities to maintain community and recover some needed revenue during this crisis.

Next Steps: We call for the expansion of Open Culture: to reduce barriers to access and to increase public space available for the program.

Commercial Rent Stabilization

We call for the immediate passage of commercial rent stabilization, creating a Commercial Rent Guidelines Board to set reasonable limits on rent increases from year to year.

Out-of-control rent increases over the last decade have driven many performance and rehearsal venues out of business, and displaced others over-and-over again.

Legislation:

• Introduction 0093-2022 (Sponsor: Ayala; Co-Prime Sponsors: Rivera, Hudson, Caban)