BOSTON, MA – Representative John Keenan (D-Salem), a member of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, today urged his colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee to include support for the Massachusetts Archives and Commonwealth Museum’s “Our Common Wealth” program in their FY2007 state budget.

Following a tour and presentation of the museum and program proposal at the state archives building and official museum of the Commonwealth, Representative Keenan echoed the sentiments of the Musem that more efforts were needed to conserve and display Massachusetts’ unique historic treasures.

“The treasurers of our nation should be available for everyone – every student and every person – to view,” said Representative Keenan. “The Massachusetts Archives holds priceless historic treasures, such as the John Winthrop Charter, the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence, and the Massachusetts Constitution, among others. But these are all out of reach to the public, locked away in the Archives. The Museum’s proposal is worthy of support and important to the historic preservation and character not only of our Commonwealth, but of our nation.”

The “Our Common Wealth: The Massachusetts Experiment in Democracy, 1620-Today” plan, crafted by the museum in 2003, would renovate the deteriorating museum exhibits and allow many of the more delicate and priceless documents and artifacts in storage – including items directly related to the Salem Witchcraft hysteria – to be put on public display. The estimated cost for the conservation, stabilization, and completion of the project is about $3 million, with half to come from private fundraising and half to come from the Commonwealth.

Representative Keenan was a leading supporter of the House’s efforts last year to increase the Massachusetts historic preservation tax credit and is the sponsor of legislation to establish “Arbella Day” in celebration of the arrival of John Winthrop with the Massachusetts charter on board the ship Arbella in 1630.