RON KARAFIN/Courier-Post The Rev. Monsignor Louis A. Marucci, executive director of the Jubilate Deo Chorale and Orchestra, testifies Thursday on arts funding before the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee in Trenton. His group has been denied funding. Behind him are Barbara F. Russo and Leonard Fisher of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Visit this related link: South Jersey Arts: Series and Summits

By ALAN GUENTHER
Courier-Post Staff
TRENTON

In what is being hailed as a victory for South Jersey arts groups, a state law will be changed to guarantee that money earmarked for the region stays here instead of being diverted to North Jersey arts groups to present shows in the region.

Under current law, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts is required to spend 25 percent of its money in South Jersey. But as the Courier-Post reported in its series, Much Ado About Money, the council has been slowly chipping away at South Jersey's share, giving an increasing amount to North Jersey groups to make appearances here.

Over the past two years, more than $496,000 has been given to North Jersey groups to provide service to the South. That will come to an end when the new state budget is introduced, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Jack Collins, R-Salem, said Thursday.

More than $2.1 million of South Jersey's money has been given to North Jersey groups and statewide organizations over the past four years. Bruce Curless, producing director for the Ritz Theatre in Oaklyn, said the change in the law is "appropriate," but it won't help him right away.

"I'm still going to have to come in tomorrow morning and work just as hard as I did today to keep my group healthy and growing," said Curless.

Still, he said the change in the state's budget law was a victory not only for South Jersey, "but for the whole state."

State Sen. John Matheussen, R-Gloucester, said he was encouraged that the law will be changed. Matheussen's Senate Legislative Oversight Committee heard three hours of testimony on the issue Thursday and adjourned without a vote.

More than half a dozen local arts groups testified before Matheussen's committee, with most reiterating positions they had stated before. Arts council officials said they obeyed the law. The current law says that 25 percent of the council's money must be given to "cultural projects within the eight southernmost counties," but it does not say the money must be allocated to local groups.

Now that the law is going to be changed to protect South Jersey, Matheussen said, he wants the arts council to reconsider funding groups like the Ritz and the Mainstage Center for the Arts in Gloucester Township. The groups serve large local audiences, but were rejected by the council when they asked for funding last year.

Leonard Fisher, chairman of the arts council, said he would refrain from making detailed comments until a report on the arts council's funding practices by Secretary of State DeForest Soaries Jr. is completed today. Soaries' office said the report may not be released to the public until next week.

Arts groups and state arts officials are scheduled to attend a free public forum on arts funding beginning at 8: 30 a.m. today at the Ritz Theatre. The forum, open to the public, is sponsored by the Courier-Post.

The new budget law will require money be given to events "sponsored by South Jersey arts organizations," said Chuck Leitgeb, spokesman for Collins. The state budget bill is in draft form and is subject to change, said Leitgeb.

But the impact of the language will not be altered, he said.

"The intent is to make sure that the full 25 percent will go to South Jersey arts organizations," he said.

Assemblyman Joseph Roberts, D-Camden, said Collins has been a "faithful and forceful advocate" of fair funding for South Jersey. "Democrats and Republicans will work together to ensure that the new language is iron-clad," Roberts said. The state budget will be introduced in the next few weeks and must be approved by the Legislature and acting Gov. Donald DiFrancesco before the end of the month.