Courtney Stewart recites a poem.JPG

Central High student Courtney Stewart, winner of the Massachusetts Poetry Out Loud contest, recites a poem to board members of the Massachusetts Cultural Council during their meeting held at CityStage.

(Don Treeger/The Republican)

More than 100 lawmakers have signed onto a letter asking House and Senate leaders to override Gov. Charlie Baker's veto of $7.7 million in arts funding.

"There's not a city or town in the commonwealth that does not benefit from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the creative economy, and for every dollar that we invest in that, it pays back $7 or $8," said State Rep. Smitty Pignatelli, D-Lenox, co-chair of the Legislature's Cultural Caucus. "So while I am respectful and understanding of the budget crisis, where we spend money is critically important."

Facing declining tax revenues, Baker, a Republican, reduced spending in the budget that lawmakers sent him by $412 million. The cuts included hundreds of local earmarks and line items, including $7.7 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency that funds the arts.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council spent $14.1 million in fiscal year 2016. Baker's vetoes would reduce its funding to $6.5 million in fiscal year 2017, which started July 1. This is similar to the level of funding the council received in 2013.

Some of the money that was vetoed was for specific earmarks, such as $75,000 for the Springfield Performing Arts Development Corporation, but most of it was for the Massachusetts Cultural Council's general budget.

Matt Wilson, executive director of the arts advocacy group MASSCreative, said the council runs festivals and concerts that bring people together, and gives grants to expand access to the arts to everyone, fostering economic growth and educating children.

"Many of those who benefit the most from MCC programs live in some of our most challenged and under-resourced communities," Wilson said. "The decision to slash MCC's funding betrays a lack of understanding of the economic, educational, and life-affirming benefits that art brings to our communities."

Garrett Quinn, a spokesman for the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, said, "Governor Baker was pleased to offer a fiscally responsible budget that continues to increase our administration's investments in education, local aid and efforts to fight the opioid epidemic, without raising taxes. Despite lower-than-anticipated revenue growth over the past few months, the administration was pleased to work with the Legislature to support funding for public arts programming, local infrastructure in our communities and increases for the Department of Children and Families, all while ensuring state government lives within its means."

The letter from lawmakers to House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, and the chairmen of the Committee on Ways and Means asks the legislative leaders to override Baker's veto.

The lawmakers warn that if Baker's veto stands, the Massachusetts Cultural Council would be forced to slash grants by 30 to 60 percent and eliminate some programs. The letter notes that the Cultural Council makes thousands of grants to artists, non-profits, schools and communities. It supports nearly 400 non-profits through grants for public programs in arts, science and the humanities.

"From Boston to the Berkshires, from Cape Ann to Cape Cod, our state boasts an array of exceptional cultural organizations, beautiful and distinctive communities, and thousands of talented artists and educators," the lawmakers wrote. "The MCC nurtures the creative life of Massachusetts. It is imperative that we continue to provide the Massachusetts Cultural Council with the necessary resources to continue the great work it does in the Commonwealth."

The letter was circulated by Pignatelli and State Sen. Dan Wolf, D-Harwich, who co-chair the cultural caucus; and by State Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, and State Rep. Cory Atkins, D-Concord, who co-chair the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development.

"The cut is devastating," Lesser said. "It's over 50 percent of an already very bare bones budget."

Lesser said if the cut stands, it would "do really grave danger" to the mission of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. It would also hurt Western Massachusetts, where arts, culture and tourism are major contributors to the regional economy.

Some of the beneficiaries of Cultural Council grants are small non-profits. Others are major museums and cultural organizations with multiple sources of funding -- institutions like the John F. Kennedy Library and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

So far, around 115 senators and representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, have signed the letter.

It takes a two-thirds vote -- 107 representatives and 27 senators -- to override Baker's vetoes. Lawmakers have until July 31 to consider Baker's vetoes, but they could begin taking them up as early as Thursday.

There was a similar fight in 2016, when Baker tried to level fund the Massachusetts Cultural Council at $11.8 million, while lawmakers wanted to increase its funding to $14 million. Baker vetoed the additional money, and the Legislature overrode his veto.

Pignatelli said the funding battles are not unique to Baker. "Every governor has done the same thing, Republicans or Democrats, and sadly, the legislators have to use a lot of political capital to restore the funds," Pignatelli said. "It's very frustrating."