Huckabee received the 2005 National Award for State Arts Leadership from Americans for the Arts and The U.S. Conference of Mayors earlier this year. In 2001 Huckabee led on passage of Act 1506, which required Arkansas' public elementary schools to offer one hour of both visual art instruction and music instruction each week beginning in June 2005. Recently the Governor and his allies beat back an attempt to substantially weaken the requirement. Huckabee signed Act 245, requiring 40 minutes per week of instruction in visual art and in music, on February 22, 2005. Huckabee himself is leader of a rock band called Capitol Offense.
