Final Senate Budget and the Amendment Round up

Today, the Senate finalized its FY17 budget. This was the third step in the budget process. The next step is the joint conference committee where in June members of the House and Senate are appointed to reconcile their two budgets into one budget.

To review the steps of the State Budget Process:
https://malegislature.gov/Budget/Process

Here is the roundup of the amendments MALC was  following:

To view all the amendments that were filed and to see their status:
https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2017/Senate/ChamberActions

Mass Cultural Council

ADOPTED: Senator Eric P. Lesser’s Amendment 315 “Massachusetts Cultural Council” to line item 0640-0300 was redrafted from $14.5 million to $15 Million. This is a $1 million  budget increase for the MCC.*

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/Senate/S4/Amendment/Senate/315/Text

It was a roll call vote in which the votes were recorded. It passed 37 to 1. The list of how the Senators voted is at the end of this blog post.

*The Senate budget proposal originally set MCC funding at $13,000,000,  but ended funding the MCC at $15 Million (an increase!). The final House FY2017 budget funded the MCC at $12,189,000. (Governor Charlie Baker level funded the MCC in his budget). The final amount awarded to the MCC will need to be sorted out in the Conference Committee.

MOTT and RTC Amendments

The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) and the Regional Tourism Council (RTC) are a vital part of our state’s economy. They promote our state globally as a tourist destination. The MA Film office is funded under MOTT.

REJECTED: Amendment 696 “Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism” boosts MOTT funding from$343,666 a little more than $2.8 million. It corresponds to line item 7008-0900.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/Senate/S4/Amendment/Senate/696/Text

WITHDRAWN: Amendment 821 “Regional Tourism Councils” authorizes RTCs to spend up to 20 percent of their funding on administrative services. It corresponds to line item 7008-0900.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/Senate/S4/Amendment/Senate/821/Text

REJECTED: Amendment 823 “Regional Tourism Councils Funding Allocation” further authorizes fiscal assistance to RTCs. It corresponds to line item 7008-0900.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/Senate/S4/Amendment/Senate/823/Text

Library Amendments

The state’s library system is crucial to providing intellectual resources to all residents, especially economically disadvantaged individuals.

REJECTED: Amendment 274 “Center for the Book” ensures the Center for the Book organization continues its work as a public-private partnership. It corresponds to line item 7000-9506.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/Senate/S4/Amendment/Senate/274/Text

ADOPTED: Amendment 285 “Board of Library Commissioners” boosts board funding by a little over $77,000. It corresponds to line item 7000-9101.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/Senate/S4/Amendment/Senate/285/Text

REJECTED: Amendment 286 “Library Technology and Resource Sharing” boosts library funding from $2.3 million to $2.7 million. It corresponds to line item 7000-9506.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/Senate/S4/Amendment/Senate/286/Text

REJECTED: Amendment 309 “Library for the Commonwealth” funds the Massachusetts Library System (MLS), which is headquartered in Marlboro and Northampton, and the Library for the Commonwealth (LFC) at the Boston Public Library. Together, they provide statewide library services that are an integral part of the library resource sharing across Massachusetts. The request for this MBLC line of $10,940,475 in Senate amendment number 309 addresses the funding needs of MLS and LFC so that each organization can maintain their current services and support to the libraries in the Commonwealth and the residents they serve. It corresponds to line item 7000-9401.
https://malegislature.gov/Bills/189/Senate/S4/Amendment/Senate/309/Text

**

The roll call vote for the MCC amendment #315

S.4 — Question on adoption of the amendment Senate — Roll Call #342

YEAS (37)

[col type=”lts-one-half”]Barrett, Michael J.
Boncore, Joseph A.
Brady, Eric P.
Brownberger, William N.
Chandler, Harriette L
Chang-Diaz, Sonia
Creem, Cynthia Stone
deMacedo, Viriato M.
DiDomenico, Sal N.
Donnelly, Kenneth J.
Donoghue, Eileen M.
Downing, Benjamin B.
Eldridge, James B.
Fattman, Ryan C.
Flanagan, Jennifer L
Forry, Linda Dorcena
Gobi, Anne M.
Humason, Donald F., Jr.
Jehlen, Patricia D.[/col][col type=”lts-one-half lts-col-last”]
Keenan, John F.
Lesser, Eric P.
Lewis, Jason M.
Lovely, Joan B.
McGee, Thomas M.
Montigny, Mark C.
Moore, Michael O.
O’Connor, Patrick M.
Pacheco, Marc R.
Rodrigues, Michael J.
Rosenberg, Stanley C.
Ross, Richard J.
Rush, Michael F.
Spilka, Karen E.
Tarr, Bruce E.
Timilty, James E.
Welch, James T.
Wolf, Daniel A.[/col]

NAYS (1)

O’Connor Ives, Kathleen

ABSENT OR NOT VOTING (2)

Joyce, Brian A.
L’Italien, Barbara A.