State Senate Budget Amendment Advocacy

Advocacy needed for the State Senate Budget

The State Senate will begin debating its budget on Tuesday, May 19th. Unlike in the House of Representatives, the Senate budget debate could continue for over a week.

Your advocacy is needed on several Senate budget amendments. Please be aware that some of the amendments mentioned in last week’s blog posts have shifted/changed, so we need you to reach out again to your state senator this week.

Here’s the link to the 2016 Proposed Senate Budget: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2016/Senate

Here’s a link to view ALL the amendments that were filed: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2016/Senate/ChamberActions

There are several amendments that need support and several that need to be opposed.

To find out who your state senator is and how to contact them, click here: http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.aspx

Below is the breakdown.

Yours in advocacy,

The MALC Steering Committee

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MALC supports all the amendments listed below. Please ask your State Senator to support them as well.

Amendment to increase the funding of the Massachusetts Cultural Council:

Amendment GOV 130 Massachusetts Cultural Council (Senator Daniel Wolf is the lead sponsor)

Messrs. Wolf, Lesser, Moore, Barrett, Eldridge, Rodrigues, Brownsberger and Lewis moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, in item 0640-0300, by striking out the figure “12,000,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “13,500,000”.

Two Amendments that support and/or increase the funding of the our libraries:

Amendment GOV 137 Massachusetts Center for the Book (Senator Jennifer Flanagan is the lead sponsor)

Ms. Flanagan, Messrs. Eldridge and Brownsberger moved that the bill be amended in Section 2, by inserting after item 7000-9506 the following item:-

“7000-9508 For the Massachusetts Center for the Book, Inc., chartered as the Commonwealth Affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress; provided, that the Massachusetts Center for the Book, Inc. shall continue its work as a public-private partnership……$200,000”

Amendment GOV 139 Regional Public Libraries (Senator Donald Humason is the lead sponsor)

Mr. Humason moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, in item 7000-9401, by striking out the figure “9,692,731” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “$9,883,482”

An Amendment to increase the Historic Tax Credits:

OTH 17 Historic Tax Credits (Senator Michael O. Moore is the lead sponsor)

Of note: These tax credits have been used to maintain our Commonwealth’s historic building/sites and have helped to create/sustain art spaces of all sizes (museums, etc), artists’ housing and needed studio space)

Messrs. Moore and Tarr moved that the bill be amended by inserting, after section ____, the following two sections:-

“SECTION _____. Section 6J of chapter 62 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 39, the figure “50,000,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “75,000,000”.

SECTION _____. Section 38R of chapter 63 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 37, the figure “50,000,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “75,000,000”.”

Two Amendments to increase the funding of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT):

Of note: The State Film Office is under this office and as part of MOTT’s marketing and through its state’s regional offices of travel and tourism, it supports art, culture, and the creative economy.

ECO 472 Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (Senator Eric Lesser is the lead sponsor)

Mr. Lesser, Ms. Lovely, Mr. McGee, Ms. O’Connor Ives and Mr. Barrett moved that the bill be amended, in Section 2, in item 7008-0900, by striking out the figure “$7,500,000” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “$10,000,000”.

ECO 475 Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism International Marketing (Senator Eric Lesser is the lead sponsor)

Mr. Lesser, Ms. Donoghue and Ms. O’Connor Ives moved that the bill be amended in Section 2, by inserting after item 7008-1000 the following item:

“7008-1015 For the office of travel and tourism for marketing the commonwealth in international markets to foreign travelers to increase visitation and spending from foreign countries…………………$1,500,000”

Amendments that need to be opposed because they would end the Film/Tax Credit Program:

Three amendments to the senate budget have been filed seeking to repeal or “sunset” the film tax incentive. MALC opposes all three amendments. Please ask your State Senator to oppose them as well.

Amendment #43 Repeals the Film Tax Credit By Senator Jamie Eldridge

Amendment #52 Repeals ALL Tax Credits within 3 years by Senator Sonia Chang
Diaz

Amendment #68 Requires the Sunset of ALL Tax Credits by Senator Mark C. Montigny