Key Senate Budget Amendments that Need Advocacy
State Senators have filed amendments to the Senate budget and they and advocates are asking other Senators to co-sponsor/sign on to those amendments. Please contact your State Senator to sign on to the amendments listed below!
While emailing your State Senator is good, it is best if you can take the time to call their office and ask them to sign on to Budget Amendments listed below. If you can’t reach to someone in their office, leave a voice mail message and follow up with an email.
To find out who your State Senator is and the link on how to connect with them: http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.aspx
To search the senate budget amendments see this page: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2019/SenateDebate
Here is a list of the Senate Budget Amendments that need advocacy. Again, State Senators have until the Senate Budget debate starts on May 22nd to sign on the amendments.
Massachusetts Cultural Council:
Amendment # 856 – Line Item 0640-0300 for the Massachusetts Cultural Council filed by Senator Adam Hinds (increases the MCC Budget to $17 million)
Hinds, Cyr, Lesser, Barrett, Lewis, Rodrigues and Eldridge moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 0640-0300, by striking out the figures “$14,034,982” and inserting in place thereof the figures “$17,000,000”.
Amendments for Tourism Sector:
Amendment # 805 – Tourism Promotion and Marketing filed by Senator Cyr (mirrors the final language in the House Budget)
Cyr, Hinds and Eldridge moved that the proposed new text be amended by adding the following section:- SECTION X: Grants allocated to Regional Tourism Councils through the Tourism Trust Fund shall be distributed by September 1 of the fiscal year in which they are allocated.
Amendment # 863 – Line Item 7008-0900 for Highway Visitor Information Centers filed by Senator Adam Hinds (ensures funding for the visitor centers)
Hinds and Eldridge moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 7008-0900, by adding at the end thereof the following:- “provided further, that not less than $500,000 shall be expended for the 11 Massachusetts visitor information centers”.
Amendment # 864 – Line Item 7008-0900 for Regional Tourism Councils filed by Senator Adam Hinds (ensures funding for the regional tourism councils)
Hinds and Eldridge moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, by inserting after line item 7008-0900, the following item:- “7008-1001 For the assistance to regional tourism councils for marketing and promotion of visitation and tourism……..$4,000,000”.
Library Amendments:
Amendment # 279 – Line Item 7000-9506 for Library Technology and Resource Sharing filed by Senator Eric Lesser (increases the funding)
Lesser and Rodrigues moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 7000-9506, by striking out the figure “$2,615,928” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “$3,259,000”.
Amendment # 371 – Line Item 7000-9508 for the Center for the Book filed by Senator Michael Barrett (restores the funding for the Center for the Book)
Barrett, Lesser, Eldridge, Welch, Rush and Brownsberger moved that the proposed new text 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…………………$250,000”
Amendment # 373 – Line Item 7000-9506 for Library Technical Support filed by Senator Donald Humason (increases the funding)
Humason moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 7000-9506, by striking out the figure “$2,615,928” and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- “$3,259,000.”