First, the 2-year extension of California’s $100 million annual film and television tax credit program passed the full state Senate. Then it had to pass the Assembly by midnight tonight when this legislative session ends. It did. Now AB 2026 and SB 1197 go to Governor Jerry Brown to sign – and presumably he will. Immediately Hollywood unions and guilds applauded the move. The California Teamsters Public Affairs Council, SAG-AFTRA, Directors Guild, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 399, Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 724, Professional Musicians Local 47, and the Recording Musicians Association stated jointly:

On the eve of this Labor Day weekend, we are profoundly thankful that our elected state representatives, led by Felipe Fuentes in the Assembly and Ron Calderon in the Senate, demonstrated their commitment to keeping jobs in California for the tens of thousands of men and women working hard to make a living in the entertainment community. Their recognition of the critical importance of this industry to California’s economy through this vote, coupled with the substantial success of the tax credit program, will go a long way toward giving California the opportunity to compete on a more level playing field with the many other states and foreign territories that already offer generous incentive programs of their own.

We encourage Governor Brown to sign the extension into law and look forward with great anticipation to a more stable environment for all the films and television shows that would prefer to shoot here in California.

The tax credit program was put in place in 2009 to help halt the exodus of production from California to other U.S. states and Canada that offer strong incentives to TV shows and feature films. In early June, 28 projects were picked by lottery to receive this year’s $100 million, including Teen Wolf as well as Pretty Little Liars and Justified.