Committee advances bill to transfer African American Performing Arts Center from State Fair to independent board

At a meeting of the Senate Indian Rural Cultural Affairs Committee, members advanced House Bill 519, which would transfer operation, maintenance and staffing responsibilities for the African American Performing Arts Center from the New Mexico State Fair to a board of directors created under the bill.

Representative Pamela Herndon, who presented the bill, said the Cultural Affairs Department would serve as the fiscal agent for the board while the board “will act independently in working to make sure that the performing arts center thrives.”

The committee considered and adopted an amendment that strikes language on page 6, lines 8–11. After the amendment, the bill language was read to require that “the board of directors shall operate, maintain, staff, and request funding for the operations, maintenance, and staffing of the African American Performing Arts Center.” Committee discussion clarified that the amendment eliminates a clause the sponsor and one senator worried could create statutory ambiguity about who controls budgeting and operations in the future.

John Smith, identified as president of the center’s board of directors, told the committee the organization supports the transfer. “By moving us over to cultural affairs, it puts us back into, organization where it handles all the performance and and knows exactly what we need and how to support us in a great way,” he said.

Senator Maestas raised concerns about existing statutory language governing administratively attached entities, citing Section 9-1-7 and warning the bill’s original wording could “create problems, in my opinion. Just maybe not today, maybe not 5 years from now, but down the road.” Maestas offered the amendment to remove the contested clause; the committee adopted that amendment with no recorded opposition among those present.

Committee members also discussed the center’s history of budget instability when it was administratively placed under other entities. Representative Herndon said the center previously operated under the Office of African American Affairs and later under the State Fair, and that a prior governor repeatedly used line-item vetoes against the center’s general fund appropriations. She said the sponsorship envisions Cultural Affairs as fiscal agent while the board would operate independently.

Members asked about day-to-day operations and meeting frequency for the board. The sponsor and bill drafter told the committee that although the draft bill mentions directors meeting once a year, the board in practice would meet more frequently.

A brief exchange addressed the center’s location on State Fair property and nearby development. The sponsor said the center has not experienced violence or attacks on the building but acknowledged potential future relocation or expansion discussions tied to fairground redevelopment and previously authorized expansion funding intended to add a dinner-theater facility; she said the authorization had been re-signed and she expected follow-up on reauthorization.

After no recorded opposition from those present, the committee moved the bill forward for further action.