Senate subcommittee pauses action on bill to use endowment money for Arts Across the Prairie, debates new FTE

The Senate Appropriations subcommittee for the Human Resources Division opened a public hearing on Senate Bill 2010, which would authorize use of Cultural Endowment Fund money for construction of Arts Across the Prairie public artworks and would add one full‑time equivalent (FTE) position at the North Dakota Council on the Arts.

Committee members heard agency testimony that the council is ready to build art installations in four of the initiative’s eight regions and asked for authority to spend $380,000 from the existing Cultural Endowment Fund for artwork fabrication. Jess, an agency representative for the council, said, “we are ready to build in 4 of the 8 regions.”

The fund balance and the requested authorities

Legislative staff said the Cultural Endowment Fund contained about $976,000 as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year and that the $380,000 under discussion would come from that existing balance. Budget staff described the $380,000 as a reallocation of previously appropriated funds (a continuing appropriation) rather than a new line item in the governor’s budget documents. Committee members were also…