As California lawmakers consider legislation aimed at supporting the state’s declining film production industry, production workers made their voices heard by sending more than 100,000 letters to state lawmakers in Sacramento. The letters were to argue for the passage of two separate pieces of legislation that would increase film production in the state.
These proposals were originally offered by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who framed them as measures that “need to be done” to save the state’s film industry. The volume of constituent engagement suggests that Newsom’s existential framing is appropriate.
California SB 630 and AB 1138 would increase the percentage of production work expenses that could be written off as tax-free and expand the range of production work that would qualify. These laws, which sailed through the California state legislature this week, are intended to build back the volume of shoot days within the state, after the industry has suffered a steep decline beginning with the 2020 COVID-era shutdowns.
Many letters from production workers told emotional and personal stories. One worker wrote, “I don’t want to change careers, and I don’t want to leave the state,…What I want is the opportunity to work where I live and to continue to be a part of the most vibrant creative community in the world.”
California Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur and Senator Ben Allen shared, “The Hollywood Film & TV Tax Credit isn’t a giveaway—it’s an investment. Without action, we risk billions in local economies, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and our status as the global entertainment leader.”
