$9.7M for MA cultural council?

The Massachusetts Cultural Council would receive a budget of $9.7 million under the compromise state budget just released by the state’s Joint House and Senate Budget Committee. The House and Senate are expected to vote today on this budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. If approved, Governor Deval Patrick would have 10 days to sign off on it.

The proposed cultural council budget would be down 23 percent from the current year’s MCC budget of $12.65 million – and roughly $2 million less than what the state House of Representatives approved in April – but not the 57 percent cut that the Senate Ways and Means Committee threatened in mid May.

Last night MCC Executive Director Anita Walker released a letter saying: “The MCC faces a cut to its budget between 10 and 24 percent. This is, of course, deeply disappointing to all of us who experience the tremendous value of arts and culture to our economy, our communities, and our schools every day. It’s especially hard to know that if the larger cut prevails, MCC’s budget will sink back to half of its size before the state’s last fiscal crisis in 2001.”

Previously:
Senate votes $9.7M for MA arts council.