Mass Cultural Council Budget Restored

On Thursday afternoon September 28, the Massachusetts Senate voted to override Governor Charlie Baker’s summertime veto to the Mass Cultural Council budget, reversing a 13% cut to the creative community. This unanimous vote in the Senate and the earlier 138-14 vote in the House shows solid bipartisan support and makes a strong statement that arts and culture are public goods worthy of state investment. This vote officially brings the Mass Cultural Council FY18 budget back to $14 million and steers clear of devastating cuts to grants and programs.

Read the Boston Globe Editorial, which praises the override and urges political leaders to invest more in the arts.

This victory is a direct result of your advocacy and engagement. In March, 600 arts and cultural supporters marched to the State House on Arts Matter Advocacy Day to rally for more public investment in the arts. Over the past six months, arts advocates sent thousands of messages to state legislators requesting an override of the governor’s veto. Your engagement and outreach reached every member of the Legislature and resulted in 112 legislators signing onto the Mass Cultural Council Override Letter and committing to the override.

Your legislators need to know that their actions are appreciated. Send your legislators a note, thanking them for recommitting their support to arts and culture.

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