Republican Governor DeSantis Lets the Music Scene Down

Across Florida, arts groups are scrambling after Republican Governor Ron DeSantis unexpectedly vetoed $32 million in arts funding on June 12. This move eliminated all state grants for these organizations, which advocates say will devastate arts and culture in Florida. Affected entities include orchestras, opera and ballet companies, as well as institutions like Itzhak Perlman’s The Perlman Music Program Suncoast in Sarasota.

When asked at a news conference on Thursday why he vetoed arts funding in the state’s $116.5 billion budget, DeSantis stated that some of the money was allocated for programming that many taxpayers would find objectionable due to its sexual nature or for other reasons. “When I see money being spent that way, I have to be the one to stand up for taxpayers and say, ‘You know what, that is an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars,’” DeSantis said. “I think the Legislature needs to reevaluate how that’s being done.”

Here are some examples of losses which could lead to program cuts and dismissals.

$150,000 Gulf Coast Symphony

$150,000 Opera Naples

$150,000 Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra

$150,000 The Florida Orchestra

$143,874 Southwest Florida Symphony

$134,192 St. Petersburg Opera Company

$116,296 Gulfshore Opera

$100,000 Symphony of the Americas

$70,500 Miami City Ballet

$70,500 Florida Grand Opera

$70,500 South Florida Symphony Orchestra

$70,500 New World Symphony

$70,500 Palm Beach Symphony Society

$70,500 Palm Beach Opera

$68,690 All Florida Youth Orchestra

$54,130 Miami Music Festival

$48,097 The Miami Symphony Orchestra

$42,300 Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida

$42,300 Young Singers of the Palm Beaches

$42,300 Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida

$42,300 Greater Miami Youth Symphony of Dade County

$34,866 Orchestra Miami

$31,932 Master Chorale of South Florida

$26,164 The Symphonic Chorale of Southwest Florida

$24,000 Tampa Bay Symphony

$23,556 American Children’s Orchestras for Peace

$22,184 South Florida Youth Symphony

$18,800 Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami

$14,400 Dunedin Music Society

$12,094 Civic Chorale of Greater Miami