TAKE ACTION: ASK YOUR STATE SENATOR TO CO-SPONSOR AMENDMENTS TO THE SENATE BUDGET
State Senator Paul Mark speaks at a podium to the left. State Representative Sean Garballey stands to the right.
Last week, the Senate Ways and Means Committee released their FY26 Budget and proposed $26,045,152 for the Mass Cultural Council, matching what Gov. Healey proposed in her H.1 Budget and what the House passed in their version of the budget on April 30th.
As with the House Budget, we understand that legislators have difficult decisions to make regarding this year’s budget and are grateful that we have leadership in Massachusetts, from the Governor’s Office through the House and Senate, that unanimously values arts and culture in the Commonwealth. We are pleased that each of these proposed budgets include a modest 0.58% increase for the state arts agency’s operating and grantmaking budget in FY26.
There are still actions that you can take to urge the Senate to adopt a stronger budget for arts, culture, and creativity this year.
TAKE ACTION ON THESE SENATE BUDGET AMENDMENTS
In addition to being a financial roadmap, the state budget is also a statement of what we value in Massachusetts. Ask your state senator to co-sponsor the following amendments to clearly state that we value a creativity-driven Commonwealth. Take action by Friday, May 16th so they hear from you before they start debating the budget on May 20th.
(Amendment 66) “Public Libraries” filed by Sen. Nick Collins and Sen. Becca Rausch and (Amendment 615) “State Aid to Regional Public Libraries” filed by Sen. Jake Oliveira and Sen. Becca Rausch. Both of these amendments move to increase state aid to regional public libraries by $950,000.
As of 4:30 pm on Tuesday, May 20th, Amendment 66 was WITHDRAWN
(Amendment 91) “Strengthening Downtowns and Main Streets” filed by Sen. John Cronin. This amendment would invest $500,000 towards the Downtown Vitality Fund.
As of 4:30 pm on Tuesday, May 20th, Amendment 91 was REJECTED
(Amendment 155) “Tourism and Visitation Economic Competitiveness” filed by Sen. Paul Mark. This amendment would appropriate $1 million for the Massachusetts Tourism Trust Fund, supporting the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and Regional Tourism Councils.
As of 4:30 pm on Tuesday, May 20th, Amendment 155 was REJECTED
(Amendment 159) “Poet Laureate” filed by Sen. Paul Mark and Sen. Becca Rausch. This would ensure that the poet laureate of Massachusetts would receive a $25,000 honorarium.
As of 4:30 pm on Tuesday, May 20th, Amendment 159 was ADOPTED
(Amendment 271) “Safeguarding Free Expression” filed by Sen. Julian Cyr. This amendment is taken from S.2328, An Act regarding free expression, and declares that book bans undermine the public good and restrict academic growth, and that librarians should be protected from personal attacks and threats.
(Amendment 741) “Board of Library Commissioners” filed by Sen. Jake Oliveira and Sen. Becca Rausch. This amendment would add about $400,000 to the operations budget for the Board of Library Commissioners.
(Amendment 742) “Library Technology and Resource Sharing” filed by Sen. Jake Oliveira and Sen. Becca Rausch. This amendment would add approximately $300,000 to the line item supporting library technologies and resource sharing.
We recommend calling your state senator’s office or sending them a personalized email asking for their support. You can find sample call scripts and email templates below:
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Think of how many emails you receive a day and how many you can take action on. But when you get a call and hear directly from someone, that gets your attention. The same thing goes for your state senator and their staff. Below is a script you can use when calling your state senator.
Pro Tips:
1) Legislative offices get a lot of communications every day. Keep your call brief, pleasant, and respectful.
2) Be sure to leave a message if you get a voicemail - staff always checks messages!
3) If you are asked a question but don’t know the answer, that’s okay! Ask for their email, and you can follow up afterward. Be sure to contact Team MASSCreative: we can help you find the answers you need.
Script:
Hi, Senator X. My name is [NAME] and I am a constituent in your district. I live at [ADDRESS].
I am calling today to urge you to co-sponsor these amendments to the Senate Budget to support arts, culture, and creativity in Massachusetts:
Amendment #66 and #615 to increase state aid to public libraries
Amendment #91 to invest in the Downtown Vitality Fund
Amendment #155 to fund the Massachusetts Tourism Trust Fund
Amendment #159 for an honorarium for the new poet laureate of Massachusetts
Amendment #271 declaring that book bans undermine the public good and that librarians should be protected from personal attacks and threats.
Amendment #741 increasing the budget of the Board of Library Commissioners
Amendment #742 to increase funding for library technologies and resource sharing
These amendments will support a more inclusive and equitable creative sector for Massachusetts.
Other things to include:
Share a sentence about your relationship to the creative sector.
Share a sentence about the role of arts and culture in your community.
Thank them for their time. If you want them to respond, repeat your name, phone number, and email address.
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When your inbox gets full, what emails stand out? The messages from people you know, topics you care about, and emails that are heartfelt and personal. When you write your state senator and their staff, personalized messages stand out. Here’s a template email that you can send - but make it your own!
Subject: Please co-sponsor amendments to support creativity in the FY26 Budget
Dear Senator [NAME],
I hope this message finds you well. My name is [NAME], and I live in [CITY/TOWN OR DISTRICT]. I want to thank you for the hard work you do on behalf of our community.
Please consider co-sponsoring these amendments to support arts, culture, and creativity in the FY26 Senate Budget:Amendment #66 “Public Libraries” filed by Sen. Nick Collins and Sen. Becca Rausch and Amendment #615“State Aid to Regional Public Libraries” filed by Sen. Jake Oliveira and Sen. Becca Rausch. Both of these amendments move to increase state aid to regional public libraries by $950,000.
Amendment #91 “Strengthening Downtowns and Main Streets” filed by Sen. John Cronin. This amendment would invest $500,000 towards the Downtown Vitality Fund.
Amendment #155 “Tourism and Visitation Economic Competitiveness” filed by Sen. Paul Mark. This amendment would appropriate $1 million for the Massachusetts Tourism Trust Fund, supporting the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and Regional Tourism Councils.
Amendment #159 “Poet Laureate” filed by Sen. Paul Mark and Sen. Becca Rausch. This would ensure that the poet laureate of Massachusetts would receive a $25,000 honorarium.
Amendment #271 “Safeguarding Free Expression” filed by Sen. Julian Cyr. This amendment is taken from S.2328, An Act regarding free expression, and declares that book bans undermine the public good and restrict academic growth, and that librarians should be protected from personal attacks and threats.
Amendment #741 “Board of Library Commissioners” filed by Sen. Jake Oliveira and Sen. Becca Rausch. This amendment would add about $400,000 to the operations budget for the Board of Library Commissioners.
Amendment #742 “Library Technology and Resource Sharing” filed by Sen. Jake Oliveira and Sen. Becca Rausch. This amendment would add approximately $300,000 to the line item supporting library technologies and resource sharing.
As you know, the creative sector is essential to our local economy and community well-being. These amendments represent smart, meaningful investments that uplift local voices, generate economic activity, and support jobs throughout the Commonwealth.
Thank you again for your time and for all that you do for [CITY/TOWN/DISTRICT] and the people of Massachusetts. -
If you don’t have the time to call your state senator’s office or send them an email, we still encourage you to take action by sending them a quick note using our form below.
Remember that your advocacy is more effective when you invite others to take action with you. Tap three people in your network and ask them to contact their state senator and urge them to co-sponsor these amendments!
If you are not sure who your state senator is, you can look them up using the link below. If your state senator is already co-sponsoring these amendments, be sure to thank them for their support!
