The following post was authored by Kimball Banks of Metcalf Archaeology. Kimball is the Chair of ACRA's Government Relations Committee.

Yesterday we received an announcement here in Colorado about the shortfall to the state’s budget due to the pandemic and how the state was going to make it up, which will have to be done over several years. No surprise, but that shortfall is going to be covered in part by cutting budgets of “soft” programs, including education and History Colorado. Any reduction will adversely affect how History Colorado operates, possibly including a reduction in staff which in turn will most likely affect historic preservation activities in the state.

That announcement got me thinking: every state is going to experience shortfalls and, if Colorado is an example, those shortfalls will be recouped through budget cuts in soft programs. Given that, you should check with the SHPOs/historical societies in the states in which you operate to see if their budgets are targeted and, if so, how that will affect their operations. This will probably be especially critical in those states that require a balanced budget.

Be sure to let us know what you are seeing and hearing in your state. As Chair of ACRA’s Government Relations Committee, I, along with the rest of the Committee, am committed to supporting our members as best we can during this time, and collecting and disseminating state information is a part of that commitment. You can let us know in the comments below or send us an email here.