NBLC Supports The Passage of the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program

NBLC supports the passage of AB 1839, which would extend, expand and restructure the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program.  This legislation would support California’s hometown, homegrown, 100 plus-years-old motion picture production industry. The North Bay has benefited from this industry and, if AB 1839 passes, will benefit in the future.  This sector is a significant economic and job creation engine for our state and the cornerstone of California’s leading export-oriented entertainment industry cluster, directly responsible for more than 190,000 well-paying middle class jobs in California.

AB 1839 would invest in California’s highly lucrative film and television production industry, making the entire state more competitive against other states and countries in the escalating competition to attract, retain and grow more of the highly coveted “below-the-line” motion picture and television production jobs (e.g., grips, costume designers, graphic artists, technical engineers, hair stylists), as well as all the numerous indirect (e.g., trucking, food services, equipment rentals) and induced jobs that are also supported by this industry.

Over the last decade, “runaway film” has unfortunately become the rule, not the exception, in California as more and more states and countries have successfully lured our valuable film and television productions and jobs away in what can best be described as a film incentive “arms race.” In 2009, California enacted a modest tax credit program that helped ease runaway production, encourage in-state production, and retain a portion of the motion picture and television production sector’s extremely sizeable direct, indirect and induced economic, job and fiscal impacts.  With an average 11 percent positive return to local and state governments, there is no cost to state and local governments in terms of spending tax expenditures. This program is actually a smart business move (the public is earning income on its investment), a good investment in job creation, and wise public policy.

AB 1839 addresses the deficiencies in the current program and has received widespread bi-partisan support.   It passed the State Assembly on a unanimous 76-0 vote. The measure now moves to the State Senate where it will be heard on June 25th in the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance.  For more information on the effort and to find out how you can help maximize the positive fiscal, job and economic returns of AB 1839, visit www.filmworksca.com.

June 2014 Primary

NBLC’s endorsed candidates and ballot measure were all victorious in the primary. Congratulations to the candidates and Measure B supporters!

Mike McGuire running for State Senate District #2 came in first with almost 60% of the votes. He will face Republican Lawrence Weisner who received 26.9% of the votes in the runoff.

Incumbent Assembly member Marc Levine, District #10, received nearly half of the votes, at 49%. His will face Republican Greg Allen who received 20.5% of the votes in November. The closest Democratic challenger was Diana Conti.

Bill Dodd and his Republican challenger, Gary Schaupp, tied at 25.7% qualifying both to be in the runoff for the Assembly District #2 seat.

Running for termed out Assembly member Wes Chesbro’s seat, Jim Wood received almost 45% of the vote ahead of three others.

In the Supervisors’ races, incumbent Marin County Supervisor Judy Arnold narrowly beat Toni Shroyer with only 140 votes separating the two. Marin Supervisor Susan Adams was unseated by Damon Connolly.

In Sonoma County, Supervisor David Rabbitt easily won re-election with almost double the votes of his contender. The fight for the 4th District seat vacated by Mike McGuire continues to November with James Gore and Deb Fudge squaring off. Fudge topped Gore but led by less than 300 votes.

Measure B, the Marin County Farmers’ Market won handily, allowing a permanent Farmer’s Market to be on the Civic Center property.