Governor Sam Brownback this week signed an executive order to eliminate the Kansas Arts Commission. It would be replaced with a new non-profit organization, known as the Kansas Arts Foundation. This has arts supporters warning that the state could lose more than a million dollars in federal matching funds. Henry Schwaller is the chairman of the Kansas Arts Commission. He says the new organization won’t be eligible for federal dollars the Arts Commission currently receives.
The order to eliminate the Arts Commission will take effect July 1st, unless it's rejected by the Legislature. We’ll have more on the elimination of the Arts Commission later this hour.