There could be good news, and more money, for South Jersey arts groups in the wake of an eagerly awaited report released Friday by Secretary of State DeForest Soaries Jr.

The report, conducted for the governor, says South Jersey should get its fair share of money from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

By law, the southern eight counties must receive 25 percent of the council's money.

But over the past two years, the council chipped away at South Jersey's share by paying northern groups more than $ 495,000 to put on shows in the South.

No money was offered to southern groups to put on shows in the North.

"It implied that there is nothing happening in South Jersey that North Jersey would want to see," Soaries told the Courier-Post.

The newspaper's series on arts council funding, Much Ado About Money, first called attention to the problem in April.

should continue to support statewide initiatives such as television and advertising campaigns.

And he differed with South Jersey lawmakers about whether southern arts groups need stronger protection from state law.

If the arts council stops giving South Jersey's money to the North, no revision in the law is necessary, Soaries said.

Assemblyman Joseph Roberts, D-Camden, disagreed.

"I think it's clear that the budget language needs revision. It has to be made as clear as it can possibly be, so that it isn't subject to more questionable interpretation in the future," Roberts said.

He said he supports an effort by Assembly Speaker Jack Collins, R-Salem, to make the law stronger.

State Sen. John Matheussen, R-Gloucester, said he had not read the report.

His Senate Legislative Oversight Committee unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution Thursday saying that 25 percent of the council's money must go to groups in the the southern counties.

In a telephone interview from his Somerset County home, Soaries said all the state's counties should be given more money to help hundreds of fledgling groups.

And he said groups that were rejected by the council should be allowed to reapply the next year. Currently, they must wait three years before reapplying for general operating support, he said.

However, with a $948 million deficit looming before the state budget is adopted at the end of June, Soaries said he expects the arts council to receive "flat funding" in a year when many other programs are facing cuts.

The arts council is in Soaries' department, but he does not control it.

Its members are appointed by the governor, who received the report Friday and needed "time to digest it," said his spokeswoman, Rae Hutton.

One of the groups rejected by the arts council, the Ritz Theatre in Oaklyn, said the secretary's report could help bring about change.

"That's great! The state arts council until the last few weeks was like the IRS to us," said Bruce Curless, producing artistic director at the Ritz, the largest arts organization in Camden County.

"We were afraid of them and afraid of their power," Curless said. "I hope they look at the report and accept the recommendations. If we can reapply for a general operating grant, we'll be the first in line."

A spokeswoman said the arts council had not read the report.