A new bill in the Ohio House of Representatives would offer $20 million in federal coronavirus stimulus funding to independent music venues.
(D-Euclid), said such venues have fallen through the cracks of CARES Act funding so far, especially after and other cultural institutions.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 qualify because they鈥檙e small businesses, they鈥檙e not non-profits,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淎nd these are cultural landmarks. These are neighborhood economic development assets. They bring in thousands of people during the course of the year.鈥�
Smith co-authored the bill, HB 785, with Concord Republican Rep. Jamie Callendar. If approved, Ohio-based music venues that have lost 75 percent of annual revenues because of the pandemic would be eligible for grants of up to $200,000.
The money could to toward a wide range of business expenses, including payroll, rent, loan payments, COVID-19-related renovations and personal protective equipment.
鈥淚 think there just needs to be an honest acknowledgement that these are significant assets, there鈥檚 150 of these [venues] across the state of Ohio,鈥� Smith said.
In late October, Gov. Mike DeWine鈥檚 office announced its most recent round of CARES Act funding distributions. The recipients of $125 million in funding included bars and restaurants, community organizations assisting people behind in rent and utility payments, rural hospitals, higher education and $20 million for non-profit cultural institutions.
DeWine could announce funding for music venues, but Smith hopes to pass a bill by the end of the year to show bipartisan support for the businesses.
鈥淧art of what 鈥榃e鈥檙e All In This Together鈥� means is that there鈥檚 some shared sacrifice,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淎nd small music venues and other folks that are in kind of the crowd-size industry have probably sacrificed more than most.鈥�
In a normal year, during a lame duck session like the state legislature is in right now, Smith said the bill鈥檚 supporters would be having face-to-face meetings seeking legislators鈥� support for the aid bill. But, he added, he and Callendar hope to attach it to another bill that is likely to pass by the end of the year.
鈥淲e think that this type of institution is probably in the majority of districts and senate districts across the state, so we just needed to create the legislation,鈥� Smith said.
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