In response to the South Carolina General Assembly's decisive action to override Gov. Nikki Haley's line-item veto of funding for the South Carolina Arts Commission, Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, issued the following statement:

"€œBy restoring $1.9 million in state funds to the the South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC), the General Assembly has done what Governor Nikki Haley failed to do: uphold the state's long tradition of valuing its artists and arts organizations to enrich the lives of all South Carolinians.

South Carolina residents know the value of the arts and that eliminating funding for the SCAC would have harmed both the quality of life and economic development in South Carolina. They know that South Carolina'€™s creative industries contribute more than $9.2 billion to the state'€™s economy annually. They know that South Carolina's arts sector supports more than 78,000 jobs. They know that the arts are big business in South Carolina - that it is imperative to invest state dollars in this critical sector of the economy.

Betty Plumb, executive director of the South Carolina Arts Alliance states, 'South Carolinians have spoken and the General Assembly has listened.' The budget is balanced, and it includes the arts. The state's small investment in the arts yields significant, statewide returns for education, quality of life and our economy. The support and services that the Arts Commission provides make a positive difference in our communities and schools.

Americans for the Arts applauds arts advocates and the legislature'€™s decision to preserve state arts funding - an action that has ensured that the state of the arts in South Carolina will prosper in the coming year and for generations to come."