Bethann Steiner, Public Affairs Director
The House Committee on Ways & Means released its FY22 Budget Proposal, recommending funding the arts and culture with $20 million in the coming fiscal year through Mass Cultural Council.
Simply put, we can only say THANK YOU to Speaker Ron Mariano, House Ways & Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, Tourism, Arts & Cultural Development Chair Carole Fiola, and all the House Members who support the power of culture and embraced our request to support the Agency’s programming and services with an investment of $20 million in FY22. Today’s investment by the House Ways & Means Committee represents the highest level of funding proposed for Mass Cultural Council, and by extension, the cultural sector, by the state in decades. It is cause for celebration and gratitude, and an acknowledgement of the important role the cultural sector will play as we move towards economic recovery post-COVID.
The House Ways & Means FY22 budget recommendation for the Agency is $3.7 million higher than Governor Baker’s H. 1 recommendation, which proposed reducing Mass Cultural Council’s funding by 10.4%. Mass Cultural Council’s current (FY21) state appropriation is $18.2 million.
Each year the Commonwealth’s major investment into the cultural sector is made through Mass Cultural Council during the annual state budget process. To alleviate the devastating economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic across the cultural sector, the Agency recently unveiled the Power of Culture Advocacy Campaign, which calls for robust public investments made in 2021-2022 through budget spending, bond authorizations, and bills to stabilize, rebuild, and provide COVID relief to the cultural sector. Today’s recommendation by the House Committee on Ways & Means is a major endorsement of our campaign. Thank you!
Next Steps
House Members have until Friday, April 16 to file their budget amendments. However, as the Committee approved our funding request, the Mass Cultural Council is not seeking any amendments during the House budget process. The House FY22 budget debate will take place during the week of April 26. When the House completes its debate, the budget will move to the Massachusetts Senate, which typically debates their budget in late May. Any differences between the House and Senate budgets must be resolved by a conference committee before a final budget can go to the Governor. Fiscal Year 22 begins on July 1, 2021.
Remember to Say Thank You
Now is the time to email your State Representative and thank them for prioritizing Mass Cultural Council and making a strong investment into the cultural sector in the FY22 House budget.