Senate Ways & Means Budget Was Released Today
The Senate Ways & Means Committee released its proposed Senate FY18. This is the next step in the state budget process. All budget amendments will need to be filed by this Thursday, May 18th.
To learn about the budget process: https://malegislature.gov/Budget
To review the full proposed Senate FY18 budget: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/FY2018/SenateWaysMeansBudget
Note the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) had its funding increased! Four of the Library line items were also increased!
The Massachusetts International Trade Council was not level funded, and funding for the Center of the Book was eliminated. MALC is confident that there will be budget amendments filed to restore the funding for these line items- so stay tuned for that info.
Also worth noting is that there is an outside section of the budget to review all tax credits (this includes the state’s film state credit program) via a “Tax Expenditure Review Commission 1”
Breakdown of the Senate FY18 Budget by line items that MALC is following:
Massachusetts Cultural Council
0640-0300 For the services and operations of the council, including grants to or contracts with public and nonpublic entities; provided, that the council may expend the amounts appropriated in this item for the council as provided in sections 52 to 58, inclusive, of chapter 10 of the General Laws; provided further, that 25 per cent of the amount appropriated in this item shall be transferred quarterly from the State Lottery and Gaming Fund to the General Fund; and provided further, that a person employed under this item shall be considered an employee within the meaning of 16 section 1 of chapter 150E of the General Laws and shall be placed in the appropriate bargaining unit ……………………………………………………………………. $16,500,000 (increase from its current funding level this year of $14 million)
(The Governor’s budget funded this at $14,307,229 and the final FY 18 House budget funded the MCC at – $12,075,699 (a cut from its current funding of $14 million))
TOURISM FUNDING:
Massachusetts Marketing Partnership
7008-0900 For the operation and administration of the office of travel and tourism; provided, that the office shall be the Commonwealth’s official and lead agency to facilitate and attract: (a) major sports events and championships; and (b) motion picture production and development; and provided further, that the office shall provide an annual report to the house and senate committees on ways and means not later than March 1, 2018 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………$299,361 (same as the House final budget)
(Funded at the same level as the Governor’s budget and the House budget)
7008-1300 For the operation of the Massachusetts international trade office ……………………. $113,751 (same as the House final budget)
(Governor’s budget funded this at $230,130. The House final budget cut this program’s funding and the Senate kept the House allocation)
LIBRARIES:
BOARD OF LIBRARY COMMISSIONERS
7000-9101 For the operation of the board of library commissioners ……………………………… $1,225,000 (increase)
(The House funded this at the same level as the Governor’s budget- $1,088,205)
7000-9401 For state aid to regional public libraries; provided, that the board of library commissioners may provide quarterly advances of funds for the purposes authorized in clauses (1) and (3) of section 19C of chapter 78 of the General Laws, as it considers proper, to regional public library systems throughout each fiscal year, in compliance with the office of the comptroller’s regulations on state grants, 815 C.M.R. 2.00; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in calculating the fiscal year 2018 distribution of funds appropriated in this item, the board of library commissioners shall employ population figures used to calculate the fiscal year 2017 distribution; provided further, that the board shall provide funds for the continued operation of a single regional library system to serve the different geographic regions of the Commonwealth in both eastern and western Massachusetts to serve the residents of those regions; and provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the library of the Commonwealth shall receive not less than 40.7 cents for each resident of the Commonwealth ……………………………………………………………………………………… $10,383,482 (increase)
(The House funded it at $10,182,317 and the Governor’s budget funded it at $9,982,317)
7000-9402 For the talking book library at the Worcester public library ……………………………… $450,115 (decrease from the final House budget)
(House funded it as $496,131 and the Governor’s budget was $446,131)
7000-9406 For the Braille and talking book library in the city known as the town of Watertown, including the operation of the machine lending agency ……………… $2,562,528 (same as the House final budget)
(The House funded it at $2,562,528 and the Governor’s budget funded it at $2,512,772)
7000-9501 For state aid to public libraries; provided, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no city or town shall receive funds from this item in any year when the appropriation of the city or town for free public library service is below an amount equal to 102.5 per cent of the average of the appropriations for free public library services for the 3 years immediately preceding; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the board of library commissioners may grant waivers in excess of the waiver limit set forth in the second paragraph of section 19A of chapter 78 of the General Laws in fiscal year 2018 for a period of not more than 1 year; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, of the amount by which this item exceeds the amount appropriated in item 7000-9501 of section 2 of chapter 194 of the acts of 1998, funds shall be distributed under the guidelines of the municipal equalization grant program, the library incentive grant program and the nonresident circulation offset program; and provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any payment made under this item shall be deposited with the treasurer of the city or town and held in a separate account and shall be expended by the public library of that city or town without appropriation ………………………………………………………………………………. $9,750,000 (increase)
(The House increased the funding for this line item to $9,500,000 and Governor’s budget funded this line item at $9,090,000)
7000-9506 For the technology and automated resource sharing networks …………………….. $2,297,330 (increase)
(House funded it at $2,197,330 and the Governor’s budget funded it at $2,097,330)
There is no line item for the Center of the Book- 7000-9508- thus the proposed Senate budget cuts this program’s funding entirely while the Governor’s budget funded it at $202,000 and the House budget funded it at $200,000.