10/13/23 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR
We kicked off our October Policy & Action Update Webinar with a discussion about upcoming hearings for bills in our creative sector agenda. Most committees in the legislature are holding hearings on many of the 7,000 bills filed this session. Already three of the five bills in the Creative Sector Legislative Agenda have received hearings. The Cultural Equity in Tourism Act is scheduled for a hearing on Monday, October 16, at 10 AM. We are still awaiting a date for the hearing for the Downtown Vitality Act.
During the webinar, we review ways for advocates and endorsers of these bills to get involved in getting them passed. Emails and phone calls to your elected officials asking them to co-sponsor any of these bills are a great way to voice your support of our creative sector agenda. Links to advocacy resources can be found at the bottom of this page. We also discussed the 2023 tax relief bill that Governor Healy signed into law last month. The package will provide a variety of tax cuts and tax credits to residents of the Commonwealth. More information can be found at the links below.
Links from the webinar:
More info and resources for the Cultural Equity in Tourism Grant Hearing
Creative Space Preservation Act Hearing
During this month's webinar, we reviewed the FY25 House Ways and Means Budget, the state budget process, and the federal STAGES Act and CREATE Art Act. We also provided updates about our inaugural Creative Advocacy Institute happening on May 17th in Lowell, as well as this year's Create the Vote campaign season.
On Friday, March 8, 2024, MASSCreative used their monthly Policy & Advocacy Webinar to provide a federal funding update, review the Governor’s Economic Development Bond Bill, give a status update on the Creative Sector Legislative Agenda, and preview the FY25 State Budget. Read the blog to watch the recording and download the slideshow.
In this month's webinar, we recapped Creative Sector Advocacy Week in January and shared Joint Rule 10 outcomes for the Creative Sector Legislative Agenda. We also shared the news that Boston City Council unanimously passed a resolution endorsing the Creative Space Preservation Act.
On Friday, January 12, 2024, MASSCreative held the first of two trainings preparing arts and culture advocates for Creative Sector Advocacy Week 2024. During this Webinar, the MASSCreative team reviewed the schedule for Advocacy Week and shared tips and outlines for meeting with lawmakers and organizing advocacy meetings.
MASSCreative was joined by the Massachusetts Health Connector for a presentation on their open enrollment period. Open enrollment lasts now through January 23, 2024. See our webinar recording and linked resources to get started.
Check out the resources we shared at November’s Policy & Action Webinar.
Three months into the new year, the Massachusetts creative sector is celebrating significant policy milestones through the Creative Sector Legislative Agenda, Economic Development Bond Bill, and FY25 Budget.
It’s been an eventful and exciting year! In this letter, Emily shares her thoughts on our accomplishments in 2023 and things we’re looking ahead to in 2024.
Meet our 2023-2024 Advocacy and Organizing Fellows!
In November 2023, we held a town hall on the Downtown Vitality Act and the Co-Creative Center New Bedford.
Join us for a Town Hall on the Downtown Vitality Act on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 4 PM in New Bedford.
Four Massachusetts communities were featured in the National Center for Arts Research released the Arts Vibrancy Index Report for 2022.