A recent federal court ruling involving the NEH marks an important development for the arts and humanities sector as advocacy efforts continue to restore federal humanities funding owed to state councils, including Ohio Humanities.

A federal court ruling earlier this month involving the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) marks an important development for the arts and humanities sector as organizations continue pushing for the restoration of federal humanities funding.

The ruling in the federal lawsuit filed last year by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), American Historical Association (AHA), and the Modern Language Association of America (MLA), found that several actions by DOGE and the NEH to terminate more than 1,400 active grants were unconstitutional, reinforcing concerns raised by humanities advocates and cultural organizations nationwide. As outlined in a recent federal court memo opinion and highlighted by the ALCS’ coverage of the ruling, the decision affirms that federal arts and humanities funding cannot simply be dismantled outside established legal processes—and that democratic checks and balances remain active.

There’s still work to be done

While the ruling represents meaningful progress, substantial work remains. State humanities councils, including Ohio Humanities, still have not received funding already owed to them.

Ohio Humanities has taken a leading national role in advocacy efforts to restore those funds, including organizing outreach to Congress and encouraging supporters to contact federal lawmakers. CreativeOhio joined a coalition advocacy letter connected to this effort, alongside several member organizations across the state. Ohio Senator Jon Husted is among the federal officials positioned to help influence the release of remaining funds, and Ohio Humanities has indicated his office has been receptive to ongoing conversations.

The issue is important to Ohio’s broader cultural ecosystem. Many museums, cultural institutions, and public radio organizations benefit from humanities funding, and humanities programs help provide historical, civic, and cultural context that strengthens the arts sector as a whole.

CreativeOhio encourages organizations and individuals to participate in Ohio Humanities’ ongoing congressional outreach campaign supporting the release of federal humanities funding already appropriated to state councils.