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Politico
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Why Sacramento is fighting over antisemitism in schools
Presented by SCHOOL SKIRMISH: California educators and Jewish advocates are publicly bashing each other over legislation meant to prevent antisemitism in schools, exposing deepening divisions over the fraught issue. With the two sides far apart, Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur and Dawn Addis yanked their bill — which would penalize schools for creating antisemitic learning environments and restrict what they teach about the Israel-Gaza conflict — from today's Senate Education Committee agenda. Now, they must scramble to ease forceful opposition from progressive groups, school administrators and the powerful California Teachers Association during their month-long summer break before bringing a revised proposal back during the last weeks of session. More than a year after campus protests over the war in Gaza rocked the state, Jewish lawmakers continue to raise the alarm about rising rates of antisemitic incidents at schools. The debate over such legislation in the Capitol has been very personal and at times raw — particularly for members of the Legislative Jewish Caucus, as their proposals run into concerns about educational censorship. Progressive groups — including Indivisible California and various chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America and Jewish Voice for Peace — called the legislation 'dangerous and unnecessary' in a letter to the committee. They argue it's meant to 'repress and censor educational content and protect the state of Israel from criticism, rather than address the real problem of antisemitism.' In spite of the impasse, leaders insist they want to 'send an antisemitism bill to the Governor by the end of this year's legislative session in September.' The lawmakers only recently unveiled their latest version of the proposal, which would punish schools found to be hostile toward Jewish students and restrict how schools teach about Israel, such as banning messaging 'directly or indirectly denying the right of Israel to exist or saying that Jewish people don't belong to a country or community.' It would also create a statewide antisemitism coordinator position, another point of contention with the teachers' union because it would focus on just one group. The legislation advanced from the Assembly last month with vague placeholder language after CTA shut down an earlier version that would have limited lessons about the Gaza war in ethnic studies classes. It prompted an emotional floor discussion about antisemitism, with Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan saying through tears that 'students are being taught to hate my children … because they're Jewish in the public schools in California.' Progressives framed the delay as a win, but remained wary. Theresa Montaño, who serves on leadership of the California Faculty Association, said that the bill's crafters went from 'multiple perspectives' to 'one perspective' as they got closer to releasing the language. 'The intended motivation around this bill was particularly chilling from the beginning, when it started with ethnic studies, to this policing of classroom teachers, to now — 'We're going to come up with something, we just don't know what it is,'' Montaño said. 'That's still kind of scary to me.' The Jewish Public Affairs Committee, the main group behind the legislation, blasted the teachers union earlier in the week when the proposal's fate was in serious doubt. David Bocarsly, JPAC's executive director, said the group agreed to focus broadly on antisemitism at CTA's request, so he was dismayed that the union's opposition pointed to the antisemitism prevention coordinator position and proposed curriculum restrictions, arguing it is 'something that we don't do for any other active conflict in the world.' 'The hypocrisy is so clear — when we only have this bill in this version because they suggested it,' Bocarsly said. CTA's opposition has created tension inside and outside the union, including with its Jewish Affairs Caucus. Addis, who was a public school teacher for two decades and had 'very, very positive relationships' with CTA, said the union's position caused her to do 'quite a bit of soul searching.' She called it 'hurtful and harmful,' though she said she remains open to collaborating. 'It's really important to continue the conversation and that they look for ways to engage more constructively and bring forward ideas so that, as this bill moves forward, they can be seen as a partner with the Jewish community,' Addis said. 'That's my biggest hope.' IT'S WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to lholden@ WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY LAWSUIT WATCH: Gov. Gavin Newsom hinted that California may file yet another lawsuit against Donald Trump's administration over federal immigration action in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park. 'Yes, in fact, one of the first texts I'm going to send back is to Rob Bonta, 'cause he just reached out to me right before I jumped in here,' Newsom told reporters today in response to a question about potential legal action over the incident. 'And we've got the city one, the local ones, at the state, so there's a lot of different levers that we could pull,' the governor added. Rifle-toting agents went to the park on Monday, seemingly to create an intimidating display rather than arrest undocumented residents. The move sparked an appearance from Mayor Karen Bass, who later described the scene she encountered when she pulled up. 'I got alerted that there was an ICE operation, military intervention — who knows — at MacArthur Park. I turned around. We went to the park,' Bass said. 'I could see a helicopter in the air. I think it was a Black Hawk helicopter. And I saw military tanks.' Los Angeles city and county joined a federal class-action lawsuit on Tuesday, and California and other blue states also weighed in on the case this week, asking the court to intervene. ON THE (CAMPAIGN?) TRAIL FANCY SEEING YOU HERE: Newsom's visit to rural South Carolina today became an impromptu reunion for Republican expats eager to harp on the liberal boogeyman from their former state. The one-time Californians, braving the muggy Southern weather in MAGA gear, traded former hometowns like call signs and displayed placards — 'CA -> SC Refugees' and 'UHAUL Salesman of the YEAR' — while protesting Newsom's two morning stops in small towns nestled among rolling hills in the state's northwest corner. They were quick to mention favorite conservative talking points (gas prices, pandemic lockdowns, the French Laundry controversy) to reporters and Democrats walking in to see the governor. 'He's the governor there, yet he's here, what, running for president?' 49-year-old Brad Beach, a former school board member in Cerritos who moved to South Carolina last month, told Playbook. 'It's ridiculous. He should stay home and fix the problems there.' Newsom — who's used to being a conservative punching bag — brushed off the protests with a few cheeky remarks to 100 or so friendly attendees at both stops. 'I'm proud to be here in a county that probably doesn't overwhelmingly support some guy from California, is that about right? That's what I'm being told,' Newsom told the crowd at his first stop in Seneca, near the Georgia border. 'I mean, I can test the theory by walking the streets with you, but I don't know if you've got enough security.' — Tyler Katzenberger IN OTHER NEWS SPORTS SUIT: The Trump administration sued the state Department of Education today over a policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls' sports, repeating a threat to withhold billions of dollars in school funding over California's policy. The lawsuit, filed in the Central District of California, alleges that California's transgender athlete law violates Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans sex-based discrimination. It cites Newsom's comment earlier this year that it was 'deeply unfair' for transgender athletes to compete in girls sports. 'The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is 'deeply unfair' to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,' Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. 'But not only is it 'deeply unfair,' it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.' A spokesperson for Newsom said that both the state's Department of Education and CIF are independent from his administration and are following state law. Newsom is not named as a party in the suit. 'No court has adopted the interpretation of Title IX that is being advanced by the federal government, and neither the Governor, nor they, get to wave a magic wand and override it — unlike Donald Trump, California follows the law,' spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement. X-ED OUT: Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down from her role as CEO of X in a post on the website today, our Aaron Pellish reports. 'After two incredible years, I've decided to step down as CEO of X,' she wrote. 'I'm incredibly proud of the X team - the historic business turn around we have accomplished together has been nothing short of remarkable.' The former NBC Universal executive joined X in 2023 shortly after Elon Musk took ownership of the social media platform. Musk and Yaccarino had spearheaded an initiative to totally remake the company — which was then known as Twitter — with the tech titan warning the platform was too 'woke.' Yaccarino praised the company and its owner in her post, and touted the features the company unveiled under her watch — including xAI. xAI is the engine behind its chatbot, Grok, which posted antisemitic content on X on Tuesday. But Yaccarino's resignation was unrelated to the Grok incident, according to a person familiar with her departure who was granted anonymity to speak freely. In response to her resignation post, Musk replied: 'Thank you for your contributions.' He has not yet indicated who would replace Yaccarino. WHAT WE'RE READING TODAY — A program that allows homeless people in Los Angeles County to earn gift cards each week they pass a drug test has gained traction in the region. (LAist) — State workers from a number of unions are approving tentative agreements after a monthslong battle to strike a deal. (Sacramento Bee) AROUND THE STATE — Los Angeles is on track to end 2025 with the lowest homicide total in almost 60 years, an LAPD tally shows. (Los Angeles Times) — San Diego has relaxed its first-in-the-nation mandate banning digital-only grocery coupons after facing pushback from grocery stores and business groups. (San Diego Union-Tribune) — A bishop in San Bernardino issued a decree exempting churchgoers from attending Sunday Mass amid heightened immigration enforcement in the region. (OC Register) — compiled by Juliann Ventura
CBS News
28-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
California increases tax incentives for film and television to $750 million
The California legislature approved a plan to hopefully incentivize studios to shoot in the state by increasing the cap on tax credits from $330 million to $750 million. "More than doubling the program's allotted cap to $750 million annually underscores just how vital our industry is to the economic health of our state, and the power of our members' voices," the Entertainment Union Coalition said in a statement. Los Angeles, long considered the center of film and TV production nationwide, has struggled to retain its dominance in the industry in recent years, losing business to other states that offer more attractive incentives, most notably New York and Georgia. To bridge the gap, Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass unveiled the proposal in October. Newsom's office said he expects to sign additional legislation as part fo the tax credit expansion. Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, who represents parts of LA County, applauded the expansion of the tax credit. "After years of uncertainty, workers can once again set the stage, cue the lights, and roll the cameras—because California is keeping film and TV jobs anchored right here, where they belong," Zbur said. Zbur authored AB 1138, which aims to modernize and strengthen the film tax credit program. "This is a historic investment in our creative economy, our working families, small businesses, and the communities that depend on this industry to thrive," he said. "We're not just restarting production—we're rewriting the script to put workers back at the center of California's entertainment future." Zbur's office stated that the tax credit has created 197,000 jobs and generated $26 billion in economic activity since 2009.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
California Assembly Passes Film Tax Bill to Expand Production Incentives
The California State Assembly has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would overhaul the state's production tax incentive program, a key step in legislators' efforts to provide support to struggling Hollywood workers. The vote on Assembly Bill 1138 was 73 in favor and one against, and comes a day after a similar bill, SB 630, passed 34-1 out of the state senate. The bills now head to the opposite houses as its co-authors say they are looking to expedite the committee vote process so that they can be passed by the legislature, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, and implemented by the California Film Commission all ideally before the legislative session ends for the year in September. 'We are in an emergency, given the unemployment levels and the loss of business in California due to the film industry, so we are working with the legislative leadership to find ways to have the bill go into effect this summer,' said Hollywood Asm. Rick Chavez Zbur, who is one of the co-authors on the bills. The two bills had language removed that calls for the program's cap to be increased from $330 million to $750 million, though that increase is still included in Gov. Gavin Newsom's revised proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. Zbur says that there is high confidence among supporters of the program expansion that the cap raise will be approved in the final budget. 'The structural support that we are receiving from all of the entertainment unions, all of the studios, independent producers, the sound stage managers and owners is uniform, and I've never seen anything like it,' he said. The two bills, known together as the California Film & TV Jobs Act, would expand the types of productions eligible for the tax credit, including animated productions and TV shows with a half-hour runtime. The bill also allows productions that shoot in Los Angeles County and other select nearby shooting locations in Southern California to be eligible for an increased tax writeoff of 35% of all eligible spending. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of film and TV production jobs in California in 2024 fell by approximately 40,000 from the all-time high recorded in 2022, when ongoing demand for streaming shows and a need to catch up on projects delayed by the 2020 pandemic helped fuel a surge in productions. But a variety of factors led to production jobs dropping not just in California but in other major American production hubs like Georgia and New York in 2024. Among them was an industry-wide cutback in production spending as media companies looked to make their streaming services profitable, as well as increased competition from other countries with their own production tax incentives. The combination of that drop in jobs and the loss of work caused by the 2023 strikes that shut down productions for 191 days has led to thousands of entertainment workers in California facing serious financial struggle and has called the future of a cornerstone of the state's economy into question. The post California Assembly Passes Film Tax Bill to Expand Production Incentives appeared first on TheWrap.
Economic Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
California Film Credit expansion claims to bring back jobs; effect remains uncertain
iStock California Film Credit expansion California legislators are moving to greatly expand the state's Film and Television Tax Credit Program as a means of stopping the flow of runawaproduction and revitalizing a struggling entertainment industry. The expansion, if approved, would double the program's annual limit from $330 million to $750 million. But, even with the broad changes, analysts and industry officials warn that the effect on employment might not be as dramatic as anticipated. As reported by the California Film Commission, the expansion would increase direct employment by 40–50%, or approximately 4,400 to 5,500 new cast and crew jobs. However, this is only a small portion of the 17,000 jobs that have been lost since 2022, according to figures presented by the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan. The Bureau of Labor Statistics further reports that California experienced a decline of approximately 40,000 jobs within the industry since before the pandemic, with some entertainment unions having claimed that as much as half of their members have been laid off. Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur, chief sponsor of the expansion, recognized the limitations: 'This is not a panacea. It will not reverse the steep slide in jobs, but it will bring some of the jobs back.' He pointed out that increasing the payout might attract more high-budget films to film in California instead of abroad, although the state's incentive is still smaller per job than those from New York and Georgia. Economic studies provide conflicting views. A recent study for the Milken Institute indicated the expansion could create an additional 14,886 jobs accounting for ripple effects on the economy. The California Legislative Analyst's Office has challenged such assertions, however, to say there is "no compelling evidence" film tax credits significantly improve the overall state economy and that incentives instead could simply displace other economic activity. Industry supporters, such as Local 724's Alex Aguilar and Rebecca Rhine of the Directors Guild of America, recognize that any forward movement is necessary. Rhine commented, 'While more resources would lead to more jobs, we recognize the challenges of the current moment and competing priorities. Action is necessary now, and we cannot allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good.'The California Film and Television Tax Credit Program is a state incentive program that provides film and television production companies with tax credits they can use to offset part of their qualified costs in order to incentivize them to film their productions in California. The overall objective of this program is to assist in the creation and retention of jobs within the entertainment sector in the employments of Californians that benefit not just the actors and directors but also the large network of crew, technicians, and local businesses dependent upon film and television the plan, eligible productions—feature films, TV series, miniseries, and pilots—can qualify to get tax credits normally between 20% and 25% of their qualified expenditures, based on the type of project and whether produced by an independent or non-independent credits cut into the tax obligation of the production companies directly, so it is more desirable for them to shoot in California than elsewhere in other states or nations that provide similar program is specifically designed to generate the highest employment. For example, productions have to spend a minimum of 75% of their production budget or principal photography days in California in order to qualify, so that lots of money is spent locally and employment is generated for the people of California.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
California Film Credit expansion claims to bring back jobs; effect remains uncertain
California legislators are moving to greatly expand the state's Film and Television Tax Credit Program as a means of stopping the flow of runawaproduction and revitalizing a struggling entertainment industry. The expansion, if approved, would double the program's annual limit from $330 million to $750 million. But, even with the broad changes, analysts and industry officials warn that the effect on employment might not be as dramatic as anticipated. As reported by the California Film Commission , the expansion would increase direct employment by 40–50%, or approximately 4,400 to 5,500 new cast and crew jobs. However, this is only a small portion of the 17,000 jobs that have been lost since 2022, according to figures presented by the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan. The Bureau of Labor Statistics further reports that California experienced a decline of approximately 40,000 jobs within the industry since before the pandemic, with some entertainment unions having claimed that as much as half of their members have been laid off. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Massive Refunds Rolling Out from Close Brothers - Lookup Your Name Get Offer Undo Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur, chief sponsor of the expansion, recognized the limitations: 'This is not a panacea. It will not reverse the steep slide in jobs, but it will bring some of the jobs back.' He pointed out that increasing the payout might attract more high-budget films to film in California instead of abroad, although the state's incentive is still smaller per job than those from New York and Georgia. Economic studies provide conflicting views. A recent study for the Milken Institute indicated the expansion could create an additional 14,886 jobs accounting for ripple effects on the economy. The California Legislative Analyst's Office has challenged such assertions, however, to say there is "no compelling evidence" film tax credits significantly improve the overall state economy and that incentives instead could simply displace other economic activity. Live Events Industry supporters, such as Local 724's Alex Aguilar and Rebecca Rhine of the Directors Guild of America , recognize that any forward movement is necessary. Rhine commented, 'While more resources would lead to more jobs, we recognize the challenges of the current moment and competing priorities. Action is necessary now, and we cannot allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good.' What is California's Film and Television Tax Credit Program? The California Film and Television Tax Credit Program is a state incentive program that provides film and television production companies with tax credits they can use to offset part of their qualified costs in order to incentivize them to film their productions in California. The overall objective of this program is to assist in the creation and retention of jobs within the entertainment sector in the employments of Californians that benefit not just the actors and directors but also the large network of crew, technicians, and local businesses dependent upon film and television production. Under the plan, eligible productions—feature films, TV series, miniseries, and pilots—can qualify to get tax credits normally between 20% and 25% of their qualified expenditures, based on the type of project and whether produced by an independent or non-independent firm. These credits cut into the tax obligation of the production companies directly, so it is more desirable for them to shoot in California than elsewhere in other states or nations that provide similar incentives. The program is specifically designed to generate the highest employment. For example, productions have to spend a minimum of 75% of their production budget or principal photography days in California in order to qualify, so that lots of money is spent locally and employment is generated for the people of California.
