Bethann Steiner, Senior Director of Public Affairs
Urge the Conferees to retain the highest possible funding recommendation for arts & culture
The next step of the FY25 state budget-building process is the Conference Committee. Three members of the Senate and three members of the House of Representatives from the Chambers’ respective Ways & Means Committees have been tasked with negotiating any differences between the final House and Senate budgets. Once complete, their Conference budget must be adopted by both the House and Senate and then signed into law by the Governor.
As a state agency, Mass Cultural Council is primarily funded through an annual state budget appropriation. Therefore, we are watching very closely the funding amount provided to the Agency next year. While both budgets provide a slight increase to our operating budget, the House budget funds Mass Cultural Council at $25,895,000 (plus earmarks) while the Senate budget funds the Agency at $25,546,197 (plus earmarks).
Mass Cultural Council submitted testimony to the Conferees urging them to retain the higher figure from the House budget. If enacted and signed into law, this appropriation, $25.9 million, would be the second highest operating budget in the Agency’s history, and would allow Mass Cultural Council to continue to equitably invest in and support Massachusetts artists, creative practitioners, culture bearers, cultural organizations, youth arts, and communities.
Call to Action
Creative and cultural sector stakeholders who wish to be recognized as in support of this level of funding for Mass Cultural Council are urged to endorse a letter to the budget Conferees being circulated by our statewide advocacy partners, MASSCreative, by 5pm on June 12, 2024.
Read Mass Cultural Council’s testimony to the FY25 Conferees