Since 2020, advocates have rallied to support funding for arts and culture that has gone from unprecedented one time investments to having to protect budget cuts to ongoing funding. Achievements have been made to build coalition across the creative sector and to build awareness of the value of arts workers to California communities health and economic prosperity.

At the same time, it has becoming increasingly clear that California’s creative industries is in a precarious state with wide inequities across the sector due to a lack of sustained investments, access to affordable housing and space, capital and rising costs. With the 2024 election, more than 25% of the CA legislature is new, Federal Funding resources are increasingly uncertain and the California state budget remains unstable.

What can advocates expect in the year ahead and how can we be prepared for the 2025-26 legislative session? Join us at this webinar to learn more. Registration is free yet required in advance.

Julie Baker, CA for the Arts

A look at the California Arts Council's funding landscape, covering key programs' current status and future, including Creative Corps and Cultural Districts. Discussion will include updates on the Creative Economy Working Group's progress, developments in the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund (PAEPF), and potential arts-related legislation for 2025. Baker will also address how Proposition 4 could impact cultural institutions across the state and explore the growing intersection of arts and public health initiatives.

Alex Torres, NIVA CA 

A focused examination of key legislative developments in California affecting the live entertainment industry's ticketing practices.

Priscilla Quiroz, Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange 

Analysis of California's current budget landscape and post-election implications, with particular focus on arts and cultural funding allocations. Overview of incoming legislators and their potential influence on arts-related policies and budgetary decisions. 

Kerri Wood Einertson, SAG-AFTRA 

Discussion of proposed expansions to California's Film and Television Tax Credit Program and how these expansions could affect production activity and entertainment industry employment across the state.

Learn More about Our Speakers

As the CEO of California’s statewide arts advocacy organizations since 2018, Julie has worked to increase the legislative clout and visibility of the arts and culture communities by building coalition across the for and non-profit sectors of California’s creative industries, producing a month-long arts awareness and advocacy campaign every April, and fighting for resources and legislation to serve and protect artists and cultural workers. She was recently appointed to the Board of the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF).

Julie has served as the California State Captain to Americans for the Arts’ National Arts Action Summit, as the recent co-chair of the Western Arts Advocacy network for WESTAF, as well as co-chair of the creative economy working group at the CA Economic Summit. She is the Board President of California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project and was elected to the Nevada County school board in November of 2020. She is also an appointed member of the State of California’s 2022 Entrepreneurship & Economic Mobility Task Force (EEMTF) and the Creative Economy Working Group under the California Arts Council. Julie is the recipient of the 2021 Americans for the Arts Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award that honors an individual at the state level whose arts advocacy efforts have dramatically affected the political landscape.

Over the years, Julie has owned a fine arts gallery for emerging artists, co-founded Flow art fair — a satellite to Art Basel Miami Beach — opened a consulting firm, Julie Baker Projects, and curated an annual music series at the Crocker Art Museum. Earlier in her career she was President of her family’s arts marketing firm in New York City and worked at Christie’s Auction house before moving to California in 1998. Julie also served for eight years as the Executive Director of The Center for the Arts, a non-profit performing arts venue and California WorldFest, an annual music and camping festival located in Grass Valley, CA. She is also the recipient of the inaugural Peggy Levine Arts & Community Service Award from the Nevada County Arts Council.

Well known in the halls of California’s capitol building, Alex Torres is a dynamic and highly trusted public policy advocate. He brings deep insights and diverse experience on a broad range of issues with specific skills in legislative and regulatory advocacy, political analysis and policy and legal research.

Alex has provided public relations services and media outreach for political campaigns for Los Angeles Unified School District and California State Assembly and served as an external affairs consultant for Cal Expo and the California State Fair. He also managed media relations for entertainment clients in Los Angeles, including press events for major motion pictures and sporting events. Alex started his career in public policy during his time in college. He interned for two summers in the California State Assembly and consulted on his first campaign while completing his sophomore year.

Prior to joining Brownstein, Alex most recently served as director of government relations for the Bay Area Council, a business association in the San Francisco Bay Area representing over 320 of the region’s largest employers on economic development issues. He also brings significant advocacy experience from his time as senior director of government relations for Strategies 360 and as a member of the lobbying team at KP Public Affairs in Sacramento, providing advocacy services for clients in a variety of sectors including entertainment, housing and homelessness, health care, small business and veterans’ issues.

Priscilla Quiroz joined the Shaw Yoder Antwih Schmelzer & Lange team as a Legislative Advocate in 2019 following four years of service in the California State Legislature.

Prior to joining the firm, Priscilla worked as a Legislative Aide in State Senator Nancy Skinner’s’ office, serving as the principal staff member assigned to the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality and the Joint Climate Change Committee. In this role, Priscilla engaged with stakeholders, provided research support, and advised on policies ranging from clean mileage standards for Transportation Network Companies, to drafting and passing legislation related to clean vehicle fleets. In addition to her policy work, Priscilla also led the office’s internship program, handling all hiring, training and management.

Previously, Priscilla served as an assistant to Assembly Speakers Anthony Rendon and Toni Atkins, supporting administrative and other duties. Priscilla received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Davis.

Kerri Wood Einertson is the Executive Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at SAG-AFTRA.  She has been with SAG-AFTRA for twelve years.  

In this role, Kerri oversees government affairs for the union, where the focus is on state and federal issues affecting performers, including copyright, production tax incentives, and anything involving a government entity that helps SAG-AFTRA members thrive.

In 2022, Kerri was appointed to the California Film Commission.  She also serves on several non-profit Boards, including Children’s Musical Theater San Jose and the Diablo Valley National Charity League.  

Prior to SAG-AFTRA, Kerri worked for several years on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. 

Kerri is fluent in Spanish and speaks it as often as possible.  She is a longtime member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the select volunteer group that produces the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game each year.

Kerri is a native of Los Angeles and a graduate of USC.  She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two daughters, and a very special German Shorthaired Pointer mix.