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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2013
Contact: Gregory
Liakos, Communications Director 617-727-3668 x343
Governor's Budget Calls for $9.6 Million for Arts & Culture through MCC
(Boston, MA) - Governor Deval Patrick today released a proposed state budget for the coming fiscal year that would invest $9.6 million in the arts, humanities, and sciences through the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC).
The Governor's fiscal year 2014 recommendation for the MCC represents level funding for the agency and its constituencies. But the proposal makes one important change: Since the start of the state’s latest fiscal crisis, $3 million has come to MCC from an off-budget account. The Governor’s proposal restores that amount through the state’s General Fund, through which all key government services are funded.
"We thank the Governor for restoring arts and culture to its rightful place as a core government service,” said Anita Walker, MCC Executive Director. “Still, we have requested a budget of $12.5 million for FY14 to begin to restore funding for our nonprofit organizations, local cultural councils, artists, and school and youth programs, after years of budget cuts. So we will work with our advocates in the field to convince the Legislature to build on the Governor’s proposal and provide the support that the arts, humanities, and sciences deserve.”
The release of the Governor's budget is the first step in the annual state budget process. The House and Senate will release their own budget recommendations in April and May, respectively. The two chambers must then agree on a budget before sending it back to the Governor for final approval before the new fiscal year begins July 1.
See MCC's Advocacy Action Center for updates on the budget process and for the latest data on the nonprofit cultural sector’s contributions to the Massachusetts economy and quality of life.
About the Massachusetts Cultural Council
The Massachusetts Cultural Council is a state agency that promotes excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences, to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and contribute to the vitality of our communities. MCC pursues this mission through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. With state funding and an annual state partnership grant from the National Endowment from the Arts, MCC’s budget is just over $11 million this year.
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| © Massachusetts Cultural Council 2013 |
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