MARCH 2024 UPDATES: RECENT POLICY WINS FOR THE CREATIVE SECTOR
Picture features, from left to right: Rep. Carlos González, Massachusetts College of Art and Design President Mary K. Grant, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Sen. Paul Mark, Emily Ruddock, Gov. Maura Healey, Rep. Christopher Worrell, Rep. Mindy Domb, Rep. Natalie Blais, Mass Humanities Executive Director Brian Boyles, Rep. Kip Diggs, Rep. James Arena-DeRosa, Mass Cultural Council Executive Director Michael J. Bobbitt, and Rep. David Vieira. Multicolored triangles on the left are decorative.
BOSTON (3/12/24) - Three months into the new year, the Massachusetts creative sector is celebrating significant and ongoing policy milestones. On Friday, March 1, the Healey-Driscoll Administration filed their $3.5 billion Economic Development Bond Bill to invigorate the state’s economy by investing in life sciences, climate tech, applied AI, rural communities, and workforce development. H. 4459, the Mass Leads Act, also includes important investments to support a creativity-driven economy. The Administration proposes supporting the creative sector through several key approaches:
$50 million for the Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF), which is administered by the Mass Cultural Council and MassDevelopment.
Establishing a Live Theater Tax Credit. The legislation proposes installing a 5-year pilot program, subject to a $5 million annual cap, for local live theater productions in the state.
$40 million for Destination Development Grants
$8 million for Historic Preservation Grants
$150 million for Library Construction Grants.
Provides support for the 250th American Revolution anniversary celebration and the 2024 Governor’s Conference on Travel & Tourism.
On March 1, Gov. Healey also issued an Executive Order establishing the Governor’s Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council. Chaired by the Executive Office of Economic Development, the Advisory Council will bring together the Mass Cultural Council, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT), and up to 15 stakeholders from the arts and culture sector to:
Explore policies that support artists, cultural workers, and arts organizations while promoting cultural equity in the arts;
Examine ways to create economic opportunities in the arts and culture sector;
Recommend to the Governor a cultural development and jobs plan for Massachusetts.
Additionally, the Administration seeks to identify and select artists-in-residence to collaborate with state agencies, as well as designate an official state poet laureate.
These developments come shortly after Gov. Healey and Lt. Gov. Driscoll announced their proposal to increase the Mass Cultural Council’s annual budget to $25.5 million in FY25. The House and Senate will release their FY25 spending proposals in April and May, respectively, and we are hopeful that each chamber will meet this suggested level of funding. The Joint Committees on Ways and Means held a public hearing last Friday, March 8, on economic development, labor, and housing funding priorities, where they also heard testimony on the Mass Cultural Council’s budget. The agency requested both the House and Senate to approve $25.5 million for operations and grants via line item 0640-0300.
Set against a challenging fiscal outlook, these cultural policy prioritizations and investments signal that the Healey-Driscoll Administration understands the creative sector’s importance to the Commonwealth’s sense of identity, spirit, and economy. These recommendations quickly followed other cultural policy benchmarks that the sector recently achieved within the legislature.
Since January 2023, MASSCreative has worked with creative sector leaders, cross-sector allies, and policymakers to advance the Creative Sector Legislative Agenda. The Legislative Agenda consists of five bills informed and supported by the sector:
The Creative Space Preservation Act (H.3241/S.530), sponsored by Rep. Dan Cahill and Sen. Liz Miranda
The Downtown Vitality Act (H.228/S.130), sponsored by Rep. Tony Cabral and Sen. John Cronin
The PLACE Act (H.3246/S.2190), sponsored by Rep. Mary Keefe, Rep. Steve Ultrino, Sen. Robyn Kennedy, and Sen. Paul Mark
The ACE Act (H.151/S.113), sponsored by Rep. Dan Donahue and Sen. Paul Mark
The Cultural Equity in Tourism Bill (H.3244/S.2194), sponsored by Rep. Pat Duffy and Sen. Jake Oliveira
Throughout the last year, MASSCreative has co-led an open call for public endorsements of these bills, organized town halls educating constituencies about the legislation, and provided advocates with resources to engage with elected officials about the policies.
The Creative Space Preservation Act, Downtown Vitality Act, PLACE Act, and ACE Act all received favorable reports from their committees around the legislature’s Joint Rule 10 reporting deadline on February 7 and are advancing to the next committee for further review.
Adding to this public support, Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and City Councilor Gabriela Coletta proposed a resolution in support of the Creative Space Preservation Act on February 7. The Boston City Council unanimously passed the resolution to formally endorse the bill. The city councilors proposed the resolution following a roundtable discussion that occurred during Creative Sector Advocacy Week between arts and culture leaders and elected officials at Zumix in East Boston.
“This is a really important moment for arts advocacy in Massachusetts. These kinds of investments are what we hope to see when artists and cultural leaders unite behind shared goals, put forward common sense public policies, and let legislators know what they need to create and work in our state. We’re grateful to have leaders in the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the legislature who understand the value that the creative sector adds to the Commonwealth.”
MASSCreative will continue to work with cross-sector partners, the arts community, and legislative allies to advance these policies before the session concludes at the end of July. Individuals and organizations who are interested in participating in these policy campaigns are encouraged to visit the MASSCreative Action Network’s website for more information.
