Reminder: 2015 Budget Call To Action
There’s still time to make your voice heard!
The 2015 Budget Conference Committee is nearing completion of its work, reconciling the differences between House and Senate budgets. There is still time to contact the members of the conference committee on behalf of the creative sector.
The following legislators serve on the conference committee:
The Honorable Brian S. Dempsey, House Chair
The Honorable Stephen M. Brewer, Senate Chair
The Honorable Stephen Kulik, House Vice Chair
The Honorable Jennifer L. Flanagan, Senate Vice Chair
The Honorable Vinny deMacedo, Ranking House Member
The Honorable Richard J. Ross, Ranking Senate Member
MALC sent a letter to all six members respectfully asking them to do the following:
1. To adopt the Senate funding line item for the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) at $12 million
(The House budget only funds the MCC at $9.6 million!)
2 . To adopt the Senate budget outside section for a STEAM Advisory Council (science, technology, engineering, arts and math)
(Remember that the House version of the budget had a STEM Council and an amendment to change it to STEAM failed!)
MALC encourages everyone to send emails to these six legislators asking them to support the above two key provisions.
These legislators’ contact information and other key information is at the end of this update/call to action.
If you send an email/letter to them – be sure to list your name, address, and other contact information. We encourage you to let them know if you are a practicing artist and if so what discipline(s) you work in!
Also please share this call to action with as many Massachusetts residents to urge them to contact these six legislators on the above two issues! Time is running out. Make your voice heard!
Sincerely,
Kathleen Bitetti
Artist and Co-founder of MALC
Contact information for the six legislators:
Chairman Representative Brian S. Dempsey- Brian.Dempsey@mahouse.gov
State House- Room 243- Boston, MA 02133 Phone: 617-722-2990 Fax: 617-722-2215
Chairman Senator Stephen M. Brewer-Stephen.Brewer@masenate.gov
State House Room 212 Boston, MA 02133 Phone: 617-722-1540 Fax: 617-722-1078
The Honorable Stephen Kulik, House Vice Chair-Stephen.Kulik@mahouse.gov
State House Room 238 Boston, MA 02133 Phone: 617-722-2380 Fax: 617-722-2847
The Honorable Jennifer L. Flanagan, Senate Vice Chair-Jennifer.Flanagan@masenate.gov
State House Room 208 Boston, MA 02133 Phone: 617-722-1230 Fax: 617-722-1130
The Honorable Vinny deMacedo, Ranking House Member Vinny.deMacedo@mahouse.gov
State House Room 124 Boston, MA 02133 Phone: 617-722-2100 Fax: 617-722-2390
The Honorable Richard J. Ross, Ranking Senate Member- Richard.Ross@masenate.gov
State House Room 520 Boston, MA 02133 Phone: 617-722-1555 Fax: 617-722-1054
All info from- https://malegislature.gov/People
How to address your correspondence:
The Honorable Brian S. Dempsey, House Chair
The Honorable Stephen M. Brewer, Senate Chair
The Honorable Stephen Kulik, House Vice Chair
The Honorable Jennifer L. Flanagan, Senate Vice Chair
The Honorable Vinny deMacedo, Ranking House Member
The Honorable Richard J. Ross, Ranking Senate Member
Dear Chairman Dempsey, Chairman Brewer, Vice Chairman Kulik, Vice Chairman Flanagan, Representative deMacedo, and Senator Ross:
I am writing to ….
[Using your own narrative perspective and your own words, please convey to the committee members why you support funding the MCC at $12 million and creating a STEAM Advisory Council. Form letters tend to get deleted en masse. Your personal touch will go a long way in promoting these vital budget initiatives.]
Your name
Your contact information
Your artistic discipline (if applicable)
Links to great information about STEAM:
http://www.ucira.ucsb.edu/changing-stem-to-steam-qa-with-john-maeda-president-rhode-island-school-of-design/
http://miter.mit.edu/ellen-winner-on-why-we-need-the-arts/
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/nov/14/my-bright-idea-john-maeda
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-m-eger/national-science-foundati_b_868449.html
http://steam-notstem.com/