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Our advocacy moves to the Senate
The past month has put arts advocates to the test. On April 13, when the House Ways and Means Committee proposed a shocking 28% cut to arts funding, the creative community made some noise and contacted their legislators. These constituent voices convinced 104 state representatives to sign on to Rep. Atkins’ amendment that would increase funding for Mass Cultural Council (MCC) to $17 million.
Despite this strong showing of support for an increase, the House voted to pass an amendment that would fund MCC at $12 million – still a $2 million cut to the previous year’s funding.
But our work isn’t done yet. Very soon, the Senate Ways & Means Committee will come out with its own version of the state budget, and possibly a new number for MCC. We need to be ready to contact our state senators about supporting an increase in state investment in arts and culture. Stay tuned for the next call to action.
Thank you to the co-sponsors on House Budget Amendment #344 for the MCC, and we look forward to further advocacy in the state budget process.
Co-sponsors on Rep. Atkins' MCC Budget Amendment #344
| Rep. Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) | Rep. Susan Gifford (R-Wareham) |
| Rep. Steven Ultrino (D-Malden) | Rep. Kay Khan (D-Newton) |
| Rep. RoseLee Vincent (D-Revere) | Rep. Daniel Hunt (D-Dorchester) |
| Rep. Edward Coppinger (D-Boston) | Rep. Christine Barber (D-Somerville) |
| Rep. John Mahoney (D-Worcester) | Rep. Elizabeth Malia (D-Jamaica Plain) |
| Rep. Frank Smizik (D-Brookline) | Rep. Sean Garballey (D-Arlington) |
| Rep. Chris Walsh (D-Framingham) | Rep. Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfield) |
| Rep. Adrian Madaro (D-East Boston) | Rep. Gailanne Cariddi (D-North Adams) |
| Rep. Aaron Vega (D-Holyoke) | Rep. Paul Brodeur (D-Melrose) |
| Rep. Carolyn Dykema (D-Holliston) | Rep. Thomas Stanley (D-Waltham) |
| Rep. Paul Schmid (D-Westport) | Rep. Daniel Cullinane (D-Dorchester) |
| Rep. Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown) | Rep. David Rogers (D-Cambridge) |
| Rep. Jose Tosado (D-Springfield) | Rep. Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg) |
| Rep. John Scibak (D-South Hadley) | Rep. Jerald Parisella (D-Beverly) |
| Rep. Bradford Hill (R-Ipswich) | Rep. Brian Mannal (D-Barnstable) |
| Rep. Michael Day (D-Stoneham) | Rep. Jeffrey Roy (D-Franklin) |
| Rep. Timothy Whelan (R-Brewster) | Rep. Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) |
| Rep. Josh Cutler (D-Duxbury) | Rep. William Galvin (D-Canton) |
| Rep. Mathew Muratore (R-Plymouth) | Rep. Louis Kafka (D-Stoughton) |
| Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick) | Rep. Rady Mom (D-Lowell) |
| Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury) | Rep. Elizabeth Poirier (R-North Attleborough) |
| Rep. Jonathan Hecht (D-Watertown) | Rep. Jay Livingstone (D-Boston) |
| Rep. Steven Howitt (R-Seekonk) | Rep. Colleen Garry (D-Dracut) |
| Rep. Denise Provost (D-Somerville) | Rep. Gloria Fox (D-Roxbury) |
| Rep. David Vieira (R-East Falmouth) | Rep. Paul Tucker (D-Salem) |
| Rep. Frank Moran (D-Lawrence) | Rep. Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston) |
| Rep. Carole Fiola (D-Fall River) | Rep. Nicholas Boldyga (R-Southwick) |
| Rep. James Dwyer (D-Woburn) | Rep. Daniel Ryan (D-Charlestown) |
| Rep. Michael Finn (D-West Springfield) | Rep. William Straus (D-Mattapoisett) |
| Rep. Tackey Chan (D-Quincy) | Rep. Bradley Jones (R-North Reading) |
| Rep. William Pignatelli (D-Lenox) | Rep. Kimberly Ferguson (R-Holden) |
| Rep. Stephan Hay (D-Fitchburg) | Rep. Bruce Ayers (D-Quincy) |
| Rep. Mary Keefe (D-Worcester) | Rep. Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury) |
| Rep. Ruth Balser (D-Newton) | Rep. Mark Cusack (D-Braintree) |
| Rep. Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield) | Rep. David Nangle (D-Lowell) |
| Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) | Rep. Keiko Orrall (R-Lakeville) |
| Rep. Kenneth Gordon (D-Bedford) | Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield) |
| Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown) | Rep. Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley) |
| Rep. James Arciero (D-Westford) | Rep. Paul Heroux (D-Attleboro) |
| Rep. Nick Collins (D-Boston) | Rep. Dennis Rosa (D-Leominster) |
| Rep. James Cantwell (D-Marshfield) | Rep. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) |
| Rep. Antonio Cabral (D-New Bedford) | Rep. Thomas Calter (D-Kingston) |
| Rep. Byron Rushing (D-Boston (South End)) | Rep. Linda Campbell (D-Methuen) |
| Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez (D-Jamaica Plain) | Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow) |
| Rep. Timothy Madden (D-Nantucket) | Rep. Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) |
| Rep. Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland) | Rep. Kevin Honan (D-Brighton) |
| Rep. Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham) | Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford) |
| Rep. Timothy Toomey (D-Cambridge) | Rep. Paul Mark (D-Peru) |
| Rep. Angelo D'Emilia (R-Bridgewater) | Rep. Peter Kocot (D-Northampton) |
| Rep. Randy Hunt (R-East Sandwich) | Rep. John Rogers (D-Norwood) |
| Rep. Marjorie Decker (D-Cambridge) | Rep. Kevin Kuros (R-Uxbridge) |
| Rep. Daniel Donahue (D-Worcester) | Rep. James Miceli (D-Wilmington) |
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