Update Tallahassee - Film Incentives - TAKE ACTION!!
Hi Everyone,
As I understand from the film office in Tallahassee, the “action” we need to take this morning is to call our House Representatives and tell them that the bill they have today on the agenda SB 2778 (S 2778E2)
needs to have the “language” REMOVED that allows for $1.5 million of our incentive money to be used for “international cultural festival planning and programming” . (that would only leave us with $3.5 in incentive money of the $5 million that is now in the budget) This wording in the bill does NOT meet with the intent of the film
incentive statute. Below is link to the house representative site so you can find your district representative by zip code. Please call the film
commission office in Tallahassee if you have any questions at 850.410.4765 Thanks!
Melissa
_http://www.myflorid ahouse.gov/ Sections/ Representatives/ representatives. aspx_
(http://www.myflorid ahouse.gov/ Sections/ Representatives/ representatives. aspx)
BELOW IS FROM FILM OFFICE
Legislative Update 4-29-08
Budget Conference Report Out. The conference reports hit the desk last night and, unfortunately, the final budget allocation for the film incentive is $5 million. What happens in the legislative process next? We are now in the 72 hour cooling off period. There are no opportunities for changes to the budget. The budget can be taken up and discussed during the cooling off period but not amended. After the cooling off period ends, they have to either vote it out or vote the entire thing down. Our focus is now on SB 2778 (S 2778E2), containing language (see below) that will negatively impact the film incentive $5 million budget. SB 2778 is on the Special Order calendar for the House which begins meeting at 9:30am today. We are still working diligently on this. Remember, if this bill doesn’t make
it through today, which is possible, we will keep our $5 million intact.
Below is the excerpted amending language from SB 2778:
“Of funds appropriated in fiscal year 2008-2009, $1.5 million shall be used for international cultural festival planning and programming that generates significant regional or statewide return on investment and uses existing state-owned cultural facilities.”
Keep calling your legislators and leadership to let them know that we must keep our $5 million intact. The amendment does not meet the intent of our statute. What will we do after session? First, I thank all of you who have written, called, and urged others to do the same. I know, for a fact, that there has been a strong effort to support the Governor’s ask. We will circle the wagons after session, roll up our sleeves, and start working on solutions and strategies for rebuilding, retaining and expanding the film, TV and digital media industry in Florida. If we’ve learned anything this time around, it is that we must find a way to attract and retain the industry that is not tied solely to legislative budget outcomes. We need to diversify our portfolio, so to speak, so that we don’t find ourselves in the same situation every year.
This is going to be a pivotal year no doubt.
Lucia Fishburne
State Film Commissioner
Governor’s Office of Film & Entertainment
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St., Suite 2001
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Phone: 850.410.4765
Fax: 850.410.4770
email: lucia.fishburne@ myflorida. com
_www.filminflorida. com_ (file://www.filminfl orida.com/)