Newsom to Hollywood: Stop Filming in Conservative States

Governor Gavin Newsom has released a full-page advertisement in Variety calling on Hollywood to stop filming in conservative states which have imposed limits on access to abortion.

Newsom is attempting to lure more business to California and away from states such as Texas or Florida that have imposed new restrictions on abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last June to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Newsom is taking his message directly to the Hollywood community, which has decamped for states like Georgia with abortion restrictions because of their lucrative film and television tax credits. Entertainment companies such as Disney and Netflix still plan to shoot shows in Georgia, but have pledged to pay for employees to travel to other states to obtain reproductive care.

In the ad in Variety, the governor calls out states like Georgia and Oklahoma for their efforts to “…strip reproductive freedom.” He goes on to urge studios and producers to “…take stock of your values — and those of your employees — when doing business in those states.” In contrast, the California governor says, “We share your values.”

On Wednesday, Newsom endorsed legislation that will extend California’s film and television tax credit program through 2030.

If passed, the bill, SB 485, will provide $1.65 billion or $330 million annually in financial support for film and television makers and other content creators. It extends the program, which was financed until 2025, for an additional five years. In 2021, Newsom signed a temporary increase of $180 million over two years for the program, which temporarily increased the annual amount to $420 million. The governor signed a separate $150 million incentive last year for soundstage construction.

Posted by Jeff Lemucchi