PAST ACTION: FY24 Budget Conference Committee Letter
On June 7, 2023, the Legislature appointed members of a Conference Committee to negotiate the House and Senate versions of the FY24 Budget. We have reason to celebrate: both the House and Senate allocated $25 million for the Mass Cultural Council’s annual operations and grant programs - $3 million more than the FY23 budget.
As part of our ongoing advocacy, MASSCreative Action Network is preparing a letter to the members of the conference committee thanking them for increase and encouraging them to add any approved earmarks for specific creative sector projects in addition to the $25 million allocated. This will ensure that the majority of state funds approved for creative sector investments are allocated through transparent and equitable processes. We hope you will consider signing on to this letter so we can demonstrate the united advocacy power of our creative community. You can read the letter below.
We collected signatures from artists, creative workers, supporters, and cultural organizations and submitted the letter to the Conference Committee.
Dear Chair Michlewitz, Chair Rodrigues, and members of the Conference Committee:
Thank you for your leadership and service to the people of the Commonwealth, as well as your continued support for the Massachusetts creative sector. As artists, creative workers, cultural leaders, and arts supporters, we were delighted that both the House and Senate included $25 million for the Mass Cultural Council’s line item 0640-0300 in their FY24 Budgets.
In Massachusetts, the creative sector is a reliable economic sector that accounts for close to 4% of employment in the state and adds $23.7 billion in value. which is more than retail and construction. Creative expression and cultural experiences - powered by the creative workforce - strengthen community bonds and pride of place. Young people, who have access to arts education in the classroom or through creative youth development programs, develop the creative thinking skills and social and emotional learning necessary to become resilient, innovative, and empathic leaders in the future. The Creative Sector is integral to Massachusetts' future success and achieving your visions of the Commonwealth.
In a recent survey, most Massachusetts residents (65%) rated arts and cultural organizations as highly important. This was especially true for individuals with incomes below $50,000 (72%), who are more likely to seek out opportunities to process their emotions and heal or grieve through the arts. Given the outsized impact that the creative sector has on the daily lives of almost every resident of the Commonwealth, we are glad that this year’s budgets represent a $3 million dollar increase from FY23.
As you develop the final version of the FY24 budget, we request that any earmarks for specific creative sector projects be included above the $25 million appropriate so that our state arts agency, the Mass Cultural Council, can transparently and equitably distribute state funds throughout the Commonwealth.
As artists, cultural leaders, creative workers, and supporters, we thank you for your consideration, leadership, and service to the residents of the Commonwealth.
Sincerely,
Members of the Creative and Cultural Community