ACTION: HEARING FOR THE PLACE ACT

Written By Jaz

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HEARING SCHEDULED

On Monday, September 18th, 2023 from 10 AM to 1 PM, the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development is holding a hybrid hearing at the State House in Room A-1 covering arts and the creative economy, historical landmarks, and cultural spaces. One of the bills they will hear testimony on is The PLACE Act.

The PLACE Act (H.3246/S.2190) is scheduled for a hearing on Monday 18, 2023.

PLACE Act designates a percentage of construction costs on any Commonwealth-owned property and new public construction projects exceeding $200K for a public art fund. That fund would be used to create and maintain public art in communities across Massachusetts and would prioritize the work of Commonwealth-based artists. The PLACE Act would make it easier for cities and towns to engage their residents in developing relevant and inclusive public art for all by codifying the process for commissioning public art. 

We need advocates to share their support for the bill now.

Three Ways to Take Action

  • One of the best things you can do to support these bills is to testify in person or virtually on September 18th. Both in-person and virtual attendees must register to testify by 10:00 AM on Friday, September 15th, 2023. Attendees testifying virtually will be emailed a link the day before the hearing to join via Microsoft Teams.

    The link to sign up to testify can be found here.

    Things to Consider When Testifying:

    Individuals testifying orally will have 3 minutes to speak. Those who will be testifying on more than one bill must adhere to the 3 minute time limit as well.

    If you miss the deadline to pre-register to testify, you may attend the hearing in person and sign up to speak on forms provided by committee staff. Individuals on this list will be called upon only after all pre-registered individuals have testified, time permitting.

    Individuals who would like to attend as a part of the panel bust also fill out the pre-registration form mentioned above. They must also email the Research Director Derek.Dunlea@mahouse.gov.

    ADA Accommodations:

    ADA accommodations shall be approved and requests must be submitted before 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday September 13th. Requests should be made via email to the Research director at Derek.Dunlea@mahouse.gov.

  • If you aren’t able to attend Monday’s Hearing or you did testify and want to add a bit more advocacy power, then submitting written testimony is really helpful.

    Written testimony can be submitted to the committee via email with the subject line “Written Testimony – TACD 9/18/23”. This can be sent to the Committee’s Research Director at Derek.Dunlea@mahouse.gov and Senate Chair’s Legislative Director at Gabrielle.Hanson@masenate.gov

  • Building support in the among the State House and State Senate is a crucial part of advocacy.

    You can look up your State Rep and State Senator here.

 

WE’RE HERE TO HELP!

Our team has put together a suite of resources to help you share your support for the PLACE Act. Here’s a quick list:

MASSCreative also put together a guide to help you feel confident in preparing for the hearing and testifying. You can find the guide HERE.

Have questions on whether your nonprofit organization can advocate on bills? We have a guide for that, too! You can find the guide for Nonprofit Organizations & Advocacy HERE.

Resources
A Guide To Hearing And Giving Testimony

An important part of the governing process is public hearings. These occur on all levels of government (Federal, State, and Local). Understanding the hearing process and how you can participate will make you a more effective advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector.

INSIDE THE STATE BUDGETING PROCESS

Maintaining and increasing public investment in the creative community requires constant and broad grassroots activism throughout the annual budget process.

NonProfit Organizations & Advocacy

There is a lot of misinformation on what a nonprofit can and cannot do when it comes to advocating for its interests and the needs of the communities they serve. Check out our Nonprofits and Advocacy Resource on how your organization effectively and confidently advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector of all residents in the Commonwealth.

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Jaz
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