Oregon’s bipartisan arts caucus wants structural changes and more money for public art

The bipartisan Arts and Culture Caucus in the Oregon legislatures has a slate of bills it’s pushing for this session. One proposal would merge two major arts funding organizations: The Oregon Arts Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust.  Another bill would help owners of historic buildings by lowering their assessed tax, while others would allocate funds for grants to artists, art programs and organizations along with money for museums, festivals and arts districts. Democratic Representative Rob Nosse co-chairs the caucus, created in 2023. He joins us to share the progress the caucus has made since it began and what he sees as the biggest challenges and opportunities for the arts in Oregon in the current political moment.