Senator Bill O’Neill Helps Secure Funding to Establish a State Poet Laureate Program
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Chris Nordstrum
(415) 601-1992
Chris.Nordstrum@nmlegis.gov
(Santa Fe, NM) Landmark Legislation. 282 bills signed into law. A $7 billion budget. Unprecedented capital outlay dollars for statewide infrastructure spending. The 2019 session was one for the books. But among the marquee accomplishments of the legislature were several measures that, while receiving fewer headlines, will also have a lasting impact on the state. One such accomplishment was securing the funding to establish a state Poet Laureate program.
The idea to establish a state Poet Laureate program dates back several years. During the 2014 session, Senator Bill O’Neill (D-Bernalillo) and Speaker of the House Brian Egolf each sponsored Memorials in their respective Chambers to conduct research on what it would take to set up a program. While the enthusiasm has been a constant, a sustainable budget has remained as the main obstacle.
The funding, over $100,000, was secured by Senator O’Neill through Senate Bill 536, a supplemental spending bill introduced this year due to the large budget surplus.
The program will be forged through a partnership between the State Library and New Mexico Arts (a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs). Both groups are now collaborating to develop the roles and responsibilities of the Poet Laureate and set up the selection process. Current plans for what will become one of the nation’s most robust programs include a youth Poet Laureate program, a community project of the Laureate’s design, and may include the task of editing an anthology of New Mexico poets.
“New Mexico is perhaps the most culturally rich state in the country. Literacy, history, and the arts are priorities of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Poet Laureate program will touch all of them in a meaningful way for New Mexicans in every corner of the state,” says Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego. “We will convene a multicultural panel to develop a program that will represent a variety of poetries and cultures in the coming years, including selection of the first Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate. The program will build respect and understanding, enrich lives, and transcend boundaries of geographies, cultures, and generations.”
“I am pleased beyond belief that we were able to secure funding for this program. A state like New Mexico, with its rich cultural history and love for the arts, should be doing everything we can to celebrate and promote our amazing talent in every way,” says Senator O’Neill. “Having a state Poet Laureate out there sharing her or his passion for poetry and supporting its importance will be a positive and direct reflection of the value we place on the arts. And, more importantly, through this program we can encourage more people to appreciate poetry and inspire future generations of poets.”
Prior to this program being given the funding to launch, New Mexico was one of just a few states without an official Poet Laureate.
###