Dear Colleagues,
A legislative conference committee is now considering competing bills to reorganize state government agencies that foster economic development in Massachusetts. A final version of this bill must go to the Governor for his approval before the legislative session ends July 31 for the bill to become law.
We need your help to ensure that this important legislation does not compromise the mission of the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) to foster the health and vitality of the nonprofit cultural sector!
One of the goals of the legislation is to streamline government agencies that market the state under the umbrella of a new quasi-public organization called the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership. This Partnership would oversee the Massachusetts Film Office, the Sports Marketing Partnership, and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT), among other agencies.
The Senate version of this bill would place the MCC under MOTT within the new Marketing Partnership. By contrast, the version passed by the House of Representatives would leave MCC where it is in the state government hierarchy: within the office of the state Treasurer, but not subject to its control.
The MCC Board believes strongly that MCC should maintain its place as an independent agency within Massachusetts state government. So we want you to tell the conferees (listed below) and the Governor to support the House version of this legislation—House Bill 4863.
Why is this important?
First, tourism and marketing are not central to MCC’s core mission. Our work involves revitalizing communities and neighborhoods through arts and culture, investing in education and youth development, and fostering civic engagement and participation in community arts and cultural activities.
We fear this work will be undervalued if MCC is charged with advancing a more narrow agenda focused on tourism.
Making the case for general operating support for organizations, funding for community arts, humanities, and science programs, and grants for individual artists, is a difficult task in an environment of scarce public resources. That argument will be made harder still if the impact of our support is measured in terms of tourism and marketing.
The cultural community of Massachusetts is unique in the public value that it provides to our communities and our citizens every day. It needs and deserves a state agency that understands that value and works on its behalf. Please add your voice to this debate and help the MCC maintain its proven role in state government.
Thank you for your help!
Anita Walker
Executive Director
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Contact information for the Governor & conferees listed below can be found via: www.mass.gov
Governor Deval Patrick
Senator Karen Spilka of Framingham
Senator Benjamin Downing of Pittsfield
Senator Bruce Tarr of Gloucester
Representative Brian Dempsey of Haverhill
Representative Garrett Bradley of Hingham
Representative Vinny DeMacedo of Plymouth
