Asa Hutchinson: “That, of course, is the whole concept behind our amendment--local control. Send the money back to the States, the…”

“That, of course, is the whole concept behind our amendment--local control. Send the money back to the States, the Governors, the State legislatures, and the State arts council would have the discretion to increase funding. In the case of Alabama, and I do not have the exact numbers in front of me, but the amount of resources available to the State of Alabama would be greatly enhanced under the block grants approach in which we send a $500,000 grant to every State, and then simply distribute it on a per capita basis. That would allow the State of Alabama to give much more to the Shakespearean theater. I was interested to hear your comments yesterday quoting Anthony Hopkins and his appreciation for that Shakespeare theater there in Montgomery. So the needed resources would be much more available, and that would be controlled locally. So insomuch as there was local support in Alabama for increased funding, I think the opportunity would be much enhanced. Frankly, I am puzzled why anyone would oppose the approach that you and I are offering.”