Update: May 5, 2025
Hello Brothers and Sisters,
This past week we had another successful showing in Sacramento at the Assembly Rev and Tax Committee Hearing! The final vote from the Committee was 6-1, in favor of passing #AB1138 out of the Committee and onto Appropriations, with Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, who represents North and East San Diego County, being the expected lone no vote. Watch the Assembly Rev and Tax Committee Hearing here.
In the end, we saw our bill move out of committee, which means we are one step closer in the process of modernizing our Film and Television Jobs Program.
As a reminder, the two bills put forth in the Senate and Assembly are intended to:
- Raise the base credit allocation from 20-25% to 35-40% with the highest percentage reserved for work outside of Los Angeles.
- Expand the types of programming eligible to apply to reflect the expanding number of genres being wooed away from the state.
Double the application windows and building in flexibility to align funding and demand. - Limit the amount of time a “recurring” series has to resume production or release their funding back into the program to be reallocated.
- Provide modest year-over-year increases reflecting the increased costs of production.
- Increase the size of the Indie bucket and increase the cap in recognition of the value and vibrancy those productions bring throughout California.
While in Sacramento, we also took part in a Press Conference organized by Assembly member, #AB1138 bill author, Rick Zbur, in which we saw a great showing of support from elected officials, small businesses and of course our Entertainment Union Coalition. In case you missed it, you can WATCH HERE.
On the local Los Angeles front, last Tuesday our Entertainment Union Coalition attended a City Hall Meeting to advocate for the passing of a motion put forth by City Council Member Adrin Nazarian to help make filming in Los Angeles easier when it comes to permitting process, speed and fees. The motion passed unanimously, and a press conference was held on the steps of City Hall to discuss the importance of supporting this staple industry in our city.
- READ more about the Motion from a recent Deadline Hollywood article here.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Our recent hearings would not have been a success without the support and action taken by our members writing letters to key committee members over the past month in advance of the hearings.
Across the Unions and Guilds part of our Entertainment Union Coalition, we sent almost 200,000 letters to Sacramento. This effort helped to successfully move our two bills through all committees, and get ready for the next step in our fight.
While there are currently no hearings scheduled for May, June will be a KEY action month. We will share updates soon about how you can continue to get involved and participate in getting the expansion and modernization of our film and television JOBS program across the finish line.
In Solidarity,
The Entertainment Union Coalition
Update: April 24, 2024
Hello Brothers & Sisters,
We are excited to share that AB 1138 & SB 630 successfully passed both committee hearings this week in Sacramento!
Our Entertainment Union Coalition including rank-and-file members were in attendance again for both the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism and our Senate Rev. & Tax Committee to advocate in support.
While we are still advocating for the expansion of the allotted money for the program increasing from $350 million/annually to $750 million/annually in the budget, these two bills introduced and championed by:
- Assembly Members Introduced by: Rick Zbur, Issac Bryan, and Quirk-Silva
- Principal Senator coauthors: Ben Allen, Caroline Menjivar, Sasha Renee Pérez, and Henry Stern
- Additional Assemblymember Coauthors:Jessica Caloza, Mark González, John Harabedian, and Nick Schultz
- Additional Senator Co-Authors: Josh Becker, Susan Rubio, and Suzette Valladares
- We also had great support from the Committee Chairs this week during both hearings.
What do the bills include?
- Raising the base credit allocation from 20-25% to 35-40% with the highest percentage reserved for work outside of Los Angeles.
- Expanding the types of programming eligible to apply to reflect the expanding number of genres being wooed away from the state.
- Doubling the application windows and building in flexibility to align funding and demand.
- Limiting the amount of time a “recurring” series has to resume production or release their funding back into the program to be reallocated
- Providing modest year-over-year increases reflecting the increased costs of production.
- Increasing the size of the Indie bucket and increasing the cap in recognition of the value and vibrancy those productions bring throughout California.
Simply put, these bills are intended to help modernize our program to keep pace and stay competitive among other States and Countries incentive programs.
The bottom line for California, it’s about creating the most amount of jobs to ‘Keep California Rolling.’
Ahead of the hearings, we had a ‘Great Show of Force’ by submitting over 100,000 letters to key Committee members through our joint Entertainment Union Coalition efforts. We want to thank those that took the time to have your voice heard. Check out this great piece by Deadline highlighting our efforts prior to this week’s hearings.
We have one more hearing this upcoming Monday with the Assembly Rev. and Tax Committee and expect this to be the most challenging one yet. That means if you have yet to sign on to our letter, it’s not too late!
https://bit.ly/KeepCaliforniaRollingSupport
If you are interested in watching the compelling testimonies from this week’s hearings or the comments shared by Committee members in support of the program, both hearings can be found here:
- Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism – Click to watch
- Senate Rev. & Tax Committee – Click to watch
We will share another update next week after our next hearing, and next steps in our fight.
Keep sharing our message to ‘Keep California Rolling!’
In Solidarity,
The Entertainment Union Coalition
Update: April 14, 2025
The Entertainment Union Coalition has been hard at work in Sacramento, teaming up with lawmakers to push for increases to California’s film and TV tax credit program—designed to create and protect quality middle-class jobs. Thanks to this collaboration, we’ve helped shape draft legislation that we’re confident will get our members back to work. But now, as the bill heads through the legislature, we need your voice to make it happen!
Take action today! We have three big hearings in April where votes that move us closer to passing a bigger and more competitive incentive are going to be made. Show your support for AB 1138 and SB 630 by submitting letters to the key Chair and Committee members before these important hearings in Sacramento on April 22nd, 23rd, and 28th. A large showing of letters to the key elected officials will help move passage of our bills. Your voice can make a difference! Your voice will make us STRONG!
It is critical that labor shows a united front in our push for this important legislation. Making your voice heard will be a key driver to build support among the committee chairs currently considering the legislation.
Take a moment to write a letter today (letter included in the link which you can personalize), click on the Action Network link and help us spread the word!
In Solidarity,
The Entertainment Union Coalition
Update: March 28, 2025
Hello Brothers and Sisters,
This week we traveled to Sacramento to advocate on behalf of our California Film & Television Jobs Program at a Senate Revenue and Tax Budget Subcommittee. We again were joined by close to 100 members of our Entertainment Union Coalition to show our support for the expansion of this program from $330 million annually to $750 million annually.
The public comment offered an emotional testament to the dire state of work and how we must ensure this expansion of the program to keep California competitive. If you would like to watch the entirety of the hearing, please click here.
This week, we also saw movement around the two bills, AB1138 and SB630 that have been introduced by Assemblymember Rick Zbur and Senator Ben Allen. These bills are intended to modernize our jobs program to further encourage production in the state in addition to increasing funding to the program annually. The bills introduced are seeking to expand the definition of a qualified motion picture, allowing more types of projects to apply. Additionally, the bills are seeking to increase the available credit amount for an individual project from 20% to 35% across California. Because an additional 5% uplift already exists for filming outside the zone, the increase in areas outside LA would be from 25% to 40%.
While the exact language of the bills has not been finalized, the EUC continues to work alongside Zbur and Allen to refine language and ensure the bills are structured to have maximum impact on retaining, attracting and creating jobs.
Soon we’ll be rolling out a letter to send to your elected officials asking them to support not only for the expansion of the funding, but also the specific elements of these two bills.
We want to thank all of the members that joined us in Sacramento this week and shared their stories. We will likely be back again multiple times next month as we get closer to the budget vote set to take place in June.
Please continue to share your story on social media about how production work benefits you and your family and how our industry makes our communities and our state stronger. Let’s Keep California Rolling!
In Solidarity,
The Entertainment Union Coalition
Update: March 24, 2025
Hello Brothers and Sisters,
This week our Entertainment Union Coalition is headed back to Sacramento to advocate on behalf of our California Film & Television Jobs Program at a Senate Revenue and Tax Budget Subcommittee.
This will be another opportunity to share member stories about the impact of the program and the urgent nature of its expansion to protect and save jobs in our film and television industry across our state. The Unions and Guilds part of our coalition will again be bringing members to observe the hearing and share their stories during public comment.
We will provide another recap at the end of this week highlighting the success of the trip.
Recently, Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur, Tina McKinnor, Jessica Caloza and Mike Gipson joined our Coalition on the set of Grey’s Anatomy. During the Assembly budget hearing earlier this month, SAG-AFTRA member Jason George encouraged the committee to step on a set to see the passion, hard work and jobs that are created to bring a film to life. We were grateful to welcome our Assemblymembers to highlight the importance of keeping our staple industry alive in the state of California.
Last week, the California Film Commission shared that 51 Films were selected for the Film & Television Tax Credit Program. This constitutes the most projects ever approved in one application window. Collectively, these productions are estimated to spend $346.9 million in wages and generate approximately $577.8 million in qualified expenditures statewide. These projects are also expected to hire 6,490 cast and crew members, with 37,000 background performers hired, measured in days worked. This latest allocation round includes 46 independent and 5 non-independent films, offering significant economic benefits across the state with 31 projects planning to film in various areas beyond Los Angeles. These projects plan to film more than 360 days in Contra Costa, Oakland, Ojai, Merced, and San Diego Counties, among others. This news only further highlights the importance of the expansion of our program to continue to attract and keep production in the state of California to stabilize the industry.
How you can get involved:
- Sign our pledge to let us know how YOU can get involved in our fight: https://bit.ly/UniteToSecureOurFuture
- Share YOUR story. Take a minute to record a video highlighting WHO you are, WHAT you do and WHY you want to Keep California Rolling.
- Hashtag #KeepCaliforniaRolling and tag @motionpicturecostumers
- Contact your legislators. Let them know how important entertainment jobs in California are to you. Find your local Assembly and Senate representatives.
We look forward to Sacramento this week to continue to push for the expansion of our Film and Television Jobs Program on behalf of the hundreds of thousands industry professionals and small businesses that rely on the success of our industry.
In Solidarity,
The Entertainment Union Coalition
Update: March 17, 2025
Hello Brothers, Sisters, and Kin,
On March 4, we traveled to Sacramento with over 100 entertainment union and guild members, all part of the Entertainment Union Coalition, to advocate for increased film and tv jobs across our state.
On Tuesday, we attended an Assembly Budget Subcommittee Hearing that focused on bringing production back to California through the Governor’s proposed expansion of the current incentive program, increasing funding from $330 million annually to $750 million annually.
While Governor Newsom has included this increase in his proposed 2025-2026 budget, this does not mean it is a done deal. Over the next several months, educating state legislators about the dire state of our industry and the significant impact this program has on good, middle-class jobs will be a priority to ensure California remains competitive in the entertainment industry. Click here to watch the full budget hearing.
Towards the end of the hearing, over 100 members lined up for public comment to share how this program impacts the jobs and livelihoods of industry workers.
On Wednesday, March 5, our coalition went door-to-door to elected officials’ offices in both the state Assembly and Senate to share our stories and ask for their support in saving the film and television industry in California. What became increasingly clear was that it is the personal stories of our members, the work you do, the passion for your careers, and the concerns for your future, that move our State representatives.
This will be the first of many trips to our State Capitol to push for an expansion of our jobs program this year. California cannot continue to compete with other states and countries without it.
How you can get involved:
- Sign our pledge to let us know how YOU can get involved in our fight: https://bit.ly/UniteToSecureOurFuture
- Find your State Representatives: Soon we’ll be sharing a simple letter to be targeted to our elected officials asking for their support. Make sure you know WHO you will need to be contacting.
- Click here to find your State Representative: https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
- Share YOUR story. Take a minute to record a video highlighting WHO you are, WHAT you do and WHY you want to Keep California Rolling.
- Hashtag #KeepCaliforniaRolling and tag your Union page (@motionpicturecostumers).
We want to thank all of the coalition union and guild members that joined us this week in Sacramento. We can’t do this without the support and stories of our members. Stay tuned for more updates and ways to get involved.
In Solidarity,
The Entertainment Union Coalition
Entertainment Union Coalition Launches “Keep California Rolling” to Protect Film & TV Jobs
February 27, 2025
The Entertainment Union Coalition (EUC) today announced the launch of “Keep California Rolling,” a labor-led campaign dedicated to ensuring that jobs remain the key priority in the proposed expansion to California’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program.
The launch of the campaign follows Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent proposal to double the state’s incentive program from $330 million to $750 million annually, a critical move to curb the flight of film and television production out of California.
“California’s entertainment industry sustains hundreds of thousands of middle-class jobs across every sector and in every corner the state,” said EUC President and Directors Guild of America Western Executive Director Rebecca Rhine. “It’s essential that the expansion of the Film & TV tax credit program prioritizes workers rather than corporate profits. The EUC fully supports the governor’s proposal, marking the most significant expansion to the program in decades, but we must ensure it delivers on its promise: keeping production, and the jobs it creates, right here in California, where workers and their families can thrive in their own communities.”
As its first major action, almost 100 workers from the EUC’s member unions and guilds – including the American Federation of Musicians, California IATSE Council, Directors Guild of America, LiUNA! Local 724, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters Local 399, and Writers Guild of America West – will travel to Sacramento to advocate for a jobs based incentive program that attracts production back to California and strengthens local and state economies. This organizing action comes as the EUC mobilizes the tens of thousands of entertainment industry union members living and working in California who are committed to sharing their stories and fighting for their future.
The campaign also launched its website www.KeepCaliforniaRolling.org to provide resources and mobilize workers across the industry in the fight for jobs. CLICK HERE to access ‘California Film & Television Jobs Program Impact Report’ prepared by the EUC.
About the Entertainment Union Coalition
The Entertainment Union Coalition (EUC) is a multi-union alliance dedicated to advocating for its members in the entertainment industry on public policy issues in California. The EUC is committed to protecting and advancing the economic livelihoods, health and pension benefits, workplace safety, organizing rights, and creative interests of its members. Its member organizations currently include the American Federation of Musicians, California IATSE Council, Directors Guild of America, LiUNA! Local 724, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters Local 399 and Writers Guild of America West, collectively representing over 165,000 members who live and work in California’s entertainment industry.