Film tax credit bill unanimously passes California Assembly
By Jennifer Chaussee SACRAMENTO Calif. (Reuters) – A bill to lure filmmakers into California with tax incentives passed unanimously in the state Assembly on Wednesday, bringing the state a step closer to extending and increasing existing tax credits for the entertainment industry. Certain television shows, major feature films and independent films would have access to a larger pool of increased tax breaks under the measure, which has received bipartisan support since it was proposed in February. Republican Assembly member Scott Wilk, who co-authored the bill, has promoted the measure as a way to create and retain jobs by sweetening the pot for the film industry, which he said has been migrating outside of California since the late 1990s because of better tax credits offered elsewhere.