After losing all of its state funding to budget cuts last year, the Kansas Arts Commission could receive some new income from taxpayers with a new bill approved by the House today.

However, that doesn’t mean the commission is exactly thrilled.

Members of the house tentatively approved a bill that would place an option to donate to the arts commission on state income tax return forms. The form already includes four such options to donate to Meals on Wheels, breast cancer research, military relief, and nongame wildlife improvement.

Taxpayers have contributed an average of more than $425,000 to these funds as a whole over the last five years, and legislators like Rep. Brian Weber, who introduced the bill on the house floor, saw this as a way to support the commission.

However, Rep. Nile Dillmore of Wichita blasted the bill as being “much too little, much too late.” He said he had received very negative feedback on the bill from members of the arts community that he had spoken to.

“They are not placated. They are not amused,” he said. “They, in fact, are very unimpressed with this effort to try and revive some spirit of cooperation between the legislature and the arts community.”

Rep. Virgil Peck of Tyro proposed an amendment to the bill which would add another option to donate to public broadcasting, arguing that the resources used to alter the form were too substantial for just one addition. The amendment was voted down, however, before the original bill was approved overwhelmingly.

The bill will be placed before the House for a final vote tomorrow.