Last week, a house panel voted to combine multiple arts programs into one larger agency and provide funding for the Museum of Arts and Culture from the fund for a planned Heritage Center in Olympia.

Narrowly passing the House State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee, HB 2033 creates a Department of Heritage, Arts and Culture in charge of multiple museums including the MAC.

Although the Governor’s proposed budget cuts funding for museums like the MAC, members of the legislature are fighting to keep its doors open. House Republicans plan to introduce a budget that keeps museums open without tapping into the Heritage Center fund.

Wherever the money comes from, the continued existence of the MAC seems optimistic in the legislature.