In the News

MAASH Alert

July 24, 2006

House & Senate Final Vote to Override Romney's Veto of MCC Increase!

Dear Friends,

In a fury of legislative action, both the House and the Senate voted today to override Governor Romney’s veto of an outside appropriation of $700,000 to the MCC. Thanks to the strong bi-partisan support in both the House and the Senate the total state appropriation for the MCC will rise to $12.1 million, a 26% increase from FY 06.

MAASH thanks the hundreds of advocates who helped on so many critical issues this year. Building on three years of consistent advocacy for the cultural community, MAASH and its advocates have successfully won the campaign to establish cultural facilities funding and significantly increased the MCC budget.

We would like to thank the Legislature for its strong commitment to arts, culture and humanities. Speaker Sal DiMasi and Senate President Travaglini have led the fight to establish Massachusetts as a model for the rest of the nation on how arts and culture help to grow the economy and to support our social fabric. In addition to this dramatic increase in MCC funding and the passage and funding of the cultural facilities bill, Speaker DiMasi and Senate President Travaglini also created the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development – one of the only such legislative standing committees in the country.

Numerous other legislators helped to push for this increase, including Sens. Therese Murray (D-Plymouth), Steven Panagiotakos (D-Lowell), Jack Hart (D-South Boston) and Reps. Bob DeLeo (D-Winthrop), Marie St. Fleur (D-Dorchester), Dan Bosley (D-North Adams) and Eric Turkington (D-Falmouth). In addition, we thank the 27 legislators who co-sponsored a successful amendment to increase MCC funding. This vote demonstrates once again the strong support that the MCC has earned, it is recognition of the valuable work they do. We thank the Legislature for their consistently strong support for the MCC and the arts, sciences and humanities in Massachusetts.

Thanks again to all our advocates who have worked consistently to carry our message of the economic, educational and social value of the arts, sciences and humanities.

Sincerely,

Dan Hunter

<<back to News Archive