PAST ACTION: SENATE MASS WINS ACT OUTCOMES

Advocacy: State
Written By Kelsey Rode

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Advocates at Creative Sector Day 2026. Photography by Steph Craig Studios.

 

On July 24, 2026, the Senate voted 148-2 to pass their economic development bond bill (S.3178).

 

In late July, the Massachusetts Senate passed their version of this session’s economic development bond bill, referred to as the “Mass Wins Act.” S.3178 is a $575.4 million bill filled with policies and bond authorizations to further the state’s economic interests.

The MASSCreative Action Network encouraged advocates to contact their state senators and urge them to co-sponsor the following amendments to support the creative sector:

  • #29 “Preserving the Creative Economy” filed by Sen. Miranda to include the Creative Space Act in the Mass Wins Act.

  • #20 "To make music affordable by reining in predatory ticket scalping" filed by Sen. Fernandes to establish new consumer protection requirements for the sale and resale of live event tickets.

  • #109 "Tourism and visitation Economic growth, new revenue and jobs" filed by Sen. Mark so that 1.5% of the state’s room occupancy excise from the last fiscal year would be credited to the Massachusetts Tourism Trust Fund.

  • #354 "Public Arts & Entertainment Microgrant Program" filed by Sen. Cyr to create a microgrant program for public arts and entertainment.

Of these amendments, #20 and #354 were adopted.

Thank you to Sen. Liz Miranda, Sen. John Velis, Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Sen. Lydia Edwards, Sen. Vanna Howard, Sen. Adam Gómez, Sen. Jake Oliveira, and Sen. Joan Lovely for co-sponsoring the Creative Space Act amendment.  

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS ADVOCACY EFFORT & THE MASS WINS ACT

 

Learn more about the Mass Wins Act, economic development bond bills, and what bond bills are by reading our blog:

 
READ MORE ABOUT THE MASS WINS ACT
 
 
 
 
Resources
A Guide To Hearing And Giving Testimony
A Guide To Hearing And Giving Testimony

An important part of the governing process is public hearings. These occur on all levels of government (Federal, State, and Local). Understanding the hearing process and how you can participate will make you a more effective advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector.

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INSIDE THE STATE BUDGETING PROCESS
INSIDE THE STATE BUDGETING PROCESS

Maintaining and increasing public investment in the creative community requires constant and broad grassroots activism throughout the annual budget process.

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NonProfit Organizations & Advocacy
NonProfit Organizations & Advocacy

There is a lot of misinformation on what a nonprofit can and cannot do when it comes to advocating for its interests and the needs of the communities they serve. Check out our Nonprofits and Advocacy Resource on how your organization effectively and confidently advocate for a more equitable and inclusive creative sector of all residents in the Commonwealth.

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6/19/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR
6/19/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we took time to honor Juneteenth and Pride Month, and talked about the status of arts education funding and voting protections.

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6/12/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR
6/12/20 - POLICY & ACTION UPDATE WEBINAR

In this webinar, we discussed mapping our roles in a social change ecosystem, talked about proposed legislation to address COVID-19 voting options, the 2020 Census, and reviewed federal and state supports for the creative sector.

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6/5/20 - policy & action update webinars
6/5/20 - policy & action update webinars

In this webinar, we had a community conversation about mapping our social change roles during times of crisis.

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Kelsey Rode
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PAST ACTION: HOUSE MASS WINS ACT OUTCOMES