{"id":5698,"date":"2016-04-14T08:30:30","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T12:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artistsunderthedome.org\/malc\/?p=5698"},"modified":"2016-04-14T20:06:55","modified_gmt":"2016-04-15T00:06:55","slug":"ma-house-ways-means-budget-part-two-libraries-film-tax-credit-mott-rtcs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/artistsunderthedome.org\/malc\/diya\/ma-house-ways-means-budget-part-two-libraries-film-tax-credit-mott-rtcs\/","title":{"rendered":"MA House Ways & Means Budget (Part Two) – Our Libraries, the Film Tax Credit, MOTT, & the RTCs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, the House committee released its Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) budget proposal. To review the House FY 2017 Budget: https:\/\/malegislature.gov\/Budget\/FY2017\/House<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As we mentioned in our previous blog post<\/a>, the House budget is the second step in our state\u2019s budget process: https:\/\/malegislature.gov\/Budget\/Process<\/a>. The first step of the budget process was the release of the Governor\u2019s\u00a0 2017 Budget.<\/p>\n

First some \u201cgood news\u201d. The House Budget does not contain any language to change or end our state\u2019s film tax credit program. Second, the House level funded the following (as did the Governor in his budget): Mass Office of Tourism & Travel (MOTT) and the Regional Tourism Councils (RTCs)<\/p>\n

Now the not so good news. Funding for our state libraries was level funded in the House Budget.\u00a0 However, those numbers are highly misleading, as those numbers are the result of cuts to our libraries over the last two budget cycles: http:\/\/mblc.state.ma.us\/mblc\/legislative\/budget.php<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Budget increases are needed for several important library line items!<\/h5>\n

The\u00a0 amendments listed below are being filed to reverse the cuts the libraries suffered the last two budget cycles. Please ask your state representative to co-sign these needed amendments<\/strong>\u00b9:<\/p>\n