Budget Update: Final State Budget Funds Arts & Culture at Current Levels

Yesterday the state Legislature did indeed vote to approve the Conference Committee’s budget.  The legislature’s budget proposal will now be sent to Governor Charlie Baker. The governor will have 10 days to review it. He may then approve or veto the entire budget, veto or change individual line items, veto non-monetary “outside sections,” or submit amendments to the budget. The legislature may override any vetoes with a 2/3 majority vote.

The State’s website has online tools to help you dig deeper into the budget process:

https://malegislature.gov/Budget/Process

From the Massachusetts Cultural Council: Final State Budget Funds Arts & Culture at Current Levels

(Boston, MA) – The state Legislature approved a state budget (yesterday June 30th) that will support the arts, humanities, and sciences through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) at current levels of $14 million.

Amid uncertainty in the financial markets and steeply declining revenue forecasts, the Governor and Legislature pared back much proposed new spending for Fiscal Year 2017, which begins tomorrow. MCC and its allies had originally sought a $17 million budget, but abandoned that effort when it became clear there was little support for it.

“We made our best case, and were able to avoid further cuts that erode our capacity to meaningfully support the cultural sector,” said MCC Executive Director Anita Walker. “That is thanks once again to all of our advocates who took the time to share stories of the impact of the arts, humanities, and sciences in their communities.”

The final FY17 budget was crafted by members of a conference committee that reconciled differences between earlier House and Senate spending plans. Governor Charlie Baker has ten days to sign the budget, veto it, or return it to the Legislature with proposed changes. (The Governor’s original budget filed in January recommended $14 million for MCC.)

Walker thanked the conference committee members along with Senate President Stan Rosenberg of Amherst, House Speaker Robert DeLeo of Winthrop; and members of both the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development and Cultural Caucus, for their support during the state budget process.

About MCC

The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a state agency supporting the arts, humanities, and sciences to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts and its communities. The MCC pursues this mission through grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. Its budget for the fiscal year ending today is $15.7 million, which included a $14 million state appropriation and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and others. The MCC also runs the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment.