New Cultural Facilities Funding: House & Senate May Add $7 Million
October 11, 2007
Dear Friends,
Minutes ago, the House/Senate Conference Committee on this year's budget (FY 08) released a proposed supplemental budget which included an additional $7 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund.
The House of Representatives may vote on this supplemental budget as soon as this afternoon.
MAASH thanks Speaker Sal DiMasi, the Chair and Vice Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Representatives Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and Marie St. Fleur (D-Dorchester) and Chairmen Dan Bosley (D-North Adams) of the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technology and Eric Turkington (D-Falmouth) of the Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development for their leadership.
If this is adopted by the House this is a significant win for MAASH and the cultural community, thanks to the efforts of statewide advocates led by the Boston Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council and MAASH. This funding would bring this year's funding for this important, new historic program to $12 million total.
MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council awarded the first grants of this program just last week at a great event hosted at the Museum of African American History. Representatives of the cultural community were joined by key members of the legislature including, Speaker DiMasi, Reps Bosley and Turkington as well as Jeff Sanchez (D-Jamaica Plain) and Kay Khan (D-Newton). Senator Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst), the Senate President Pro Tem was joined by Senator Jack Hart (D-South Boston) who was one of the authors of the new law.
MAASH will keep you informed on the progress of this supplemental budget.
