The US$32 million (AU$48.13 million) arts budget for the US state of Florida has been vetoed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who cited the ‘sexual’ nature of the state’s fringe festivals as forcing his hand.
‘We didn’t have control over how [the arts budget] was being given. So you have your tax dollars being given in grants to things like the Fringe Festival, which is like a sexual festival where they are doing all this stuff. How many of you think your tax dollars should go to fund that? Not very many people would do that,’ DeSantis said at a recent press conference.