The Senate approved a state budget for the coming fiscal year today that calls for $9.25 million to support the arts, humanities, and sciences through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC).
The Senate’s fiscal year 2011 budget is slightly higher than the $9.1 million proposed by the House of Representatives in the budget it passed last month. Still, it would represent a cut of $443,000, or 4.6 percent, from MCC’s current budget.
The House and Senate must now agree on a spending plan before sending it back to the Governor for final approval. The new fiscal year begins July 1.
The budget passed after an amendment filed by Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz of Boston to maintain level funding for MCC fell short of the votes needed to pass. Chang-Díaz is Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development. Her amendment was cosponsored by Senators Benjamin Downing of Pittsfield, Jack Hart of Boston, Patricia Jehlen of Somerville, Michael Moore of Millbury, and Robert O’Leary of Barnstable.
“Senator Chang-Díaz and our amendment co-sponsors deserve the thanks of the cultural community for advocating on our behalf during another very difficult year for state finances,” said Anita Walker, MCC Executive Director. “Now we will work to ensure that the budget conferees understand the value of arts and cultural funding to the health and vitality of our state.”
State funding for arts and culture through MCC was cut nearly 25 percent last year, and is half its level of a decade ago. Restoring this funding and reinvesting in the Mass. Cultural Facilities Fund are the MCC’s top priorities.
