Latest news with #RickChavezZbur
Yahoo
a day ago
- 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
2 days ago
- 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
2 days ago
- 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.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
California Film Tax Credit Overhaul Bill Passes State Senate, Funding Debate Over Cap to Come
A California bill that would loosen the eligibility requirements and expand the benefits of the state's film and television tax credit program was passed by the State Senate in Sacramento on Tuesday, clearing a key vote as lawmakers look for ways to halt and reverse the decline of production jobs for entertainment workers in the Golden State. Senate Bill 630 passed its floor vote with 34 state senators voting in favor of the bill with only one vote against. The bill moves next to the State Assembly, which is set for a floor vote on its version of the program expansion, Assembly Bill 1138, this Thursday. Combined, the two bills have been named the California Film and Television Jobs Act by its authors, which include several Los Angeles-based legislators like Hollywood Asm. Rick Chavez Zbur and Westside State Sen. Ben Allen. The bills would expand the types of productions that can qualify for the tax credit to include, among others, animated TV programs with a minimum budget of $1 million per episode and live-action TV programs with a half-hour runtime. The bills also raise the tax credit rate for productions shot in Los Angeles and select nearby shooting areas from 20% to 35% of qualified spending, an addition done to incentivize job creation in Hollywood's backyard amidst rising living costs and in the aftermath of January's wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. But questions still remain over whether this expansion will come with an increase in the tax credit program's cap, which currently stands at $330 million per year. Last fall, Gov. Gavin Newsom threw his support behind a drastic increase in that cap to $750 million year, which would make it the third-highest program in the country behind Georgia, which does not have a cap on its tax credit program, and New York, which last month raised its cap to $800 million. Two weeks ago, the California Senate Budget Committee removed language from SB 630 that called for the $750 million cap raise over objections to funding changes being made outside of the state's budgetary process, which reaches a critical stage this month as Gov. Newsom is set to present a revised proposed budget amidst uncertainty over federal funding and business revenue stemming from the Trump Administration and its economic policies. While state law requires California to pass a budget bill by June 15, sources tell TheWrap that the deadline may not provide a final decision on how much funding the tax credit program gets due to its status as a budget appropriation that is not an essential part of state infrastructure and government function. Industry insiders and legislative reps said they could not provide a timetable on when the budget cap for the program would be finalized. The post California Film Tax Credit Overhaul Bill Passes State Senate, Funding Debate Over Cap to Come appeared first on TheWrap.
San Francisco Chronicle
26-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Letters: Antisemitism is real. A new state anti-discrimination bill won't protect against it
Regarding 'California anti-discrimination bill faces blowback' (Politics, May 21): While everyone agrees antisemitism is bad, few agree on what it means. AB715 expands the definition of antisemitism by defining 'nationality' as 'residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity.' So, because Judaism is dominant in Israel, school lessons that reference accusations that it is an apartheid state or that its actions in Gaza are genocidal would be deemed antisemitic. AB715's lead author, Assembly Member Rick Chavez Zbur, says the bill doesn't define criticism of Israel as antisemitism 'as long as that criticism is consistent with how you would criticize any other government that's doing the same thing.' Nice try, but who decides? When Amnesty International and Oxfam call the Gaza massacres genocide, are they antisemitic? This bill will not protect Jews. It sets up Jews as a special class deserving protection denied to African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos and other groups not mentioned in AB715. As a California Jew, I urge a no vote on this terrible bill. David Spero, San Francisco Charge for traffic Regarding 'N.Y. is using this controversial idea to fight traffic, fund transit and bring life back downtown. S.F. can, too' (Open Forum, May 22): Ned Resnikoff's op-ed is right on point. I have lived in San Francisco by the Bay Bridge on/off ramps at Harrison, Main and Bryant streets for 30 years. We residents put up with vehicular emissions, honking, shouting and general pandemonium as commuters come into and exit the city. We sometimes do not have access to our garages. Cabs and Ubers cannot get to us. Emergency vehicles cannot get to us. In the meantime, more housing is being built and proposed in this area. This will bring even more vehicles to the neighborhood. I, for one, cannot comprehend how this situation can continue. Katy Liddell, San Francisco Help all moms Republicans have raised the child tax credit to $2,500 in their 'Big Beautiful Bill.' They hope this will persuade more middle-class women to stay home with their kids. At the same time, the bill requires women too poor for tax credits but who receive Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program benefits to leave their kids and go to work. If they don't, they lose the $200 to $300 per month that SNAP provides. This raises two questions. Why do Americans who are better off to begin with get a much higher benefit? Why do Republicans only want to help middle-class moms stay home while they force working-class moms to go out and work no matter what their circumstances? Kristina Marcy, Woodland, Yolo County Secession would be bad Regarding 'Secession makes sense' (Letters to the Editor, May 22): The letter endorsed the idea of California's secession as a viable and 'sane' response to the current state of the country. What this ignores is that, unlike the European Union, the Constitution contains no legal means for a member state to leave. Consequently, California's secession would immediately trigger a justifiable response by the Federal government, including declaring war on the state, just as it did to the Confederacy secession in 1860. California could not win such a war. But even worse than a defeat, it would provide the President Donald Trump with an opportunity to don the mantle of Abraham Lincoln as a defender of the Union. Trump has currently juxtaposed his image with that of Lincoln on the Capital Mall. It would be a disastrous mistake to provide him with a concrete reason for this offensive comparison. John Rose, Ashland, Ore. Thanks to service members This Memorial Day, we remember those who gave their lives defending our country and the freedoms that make America the greatest nation on Earth. It is up to each of us as Americans to carry on their memory and uphold the values they sacrificed dearly to protect. May God bless the men and women in our armed forces, the families of those who have lost their loved ones in the service of our nation and the incredible United States of America for which they fought. Paul Bacon, Hallandale Beach, Fla.
