Standing together, you have sent over 10,000 individual letters to our Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, Senate Budget Chair Scott Wiener and Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel. These continue to be the key elected officials in the next phase of our fight, and these letters are critical to have your voices heard.
This week, we achieved a major milestone in our fight, but we are not done yet.
On Tuesday, June 3, both Assembly Bill AB 1138 and our Senate Bill SB 630 overwhelmingly passed floor votes to move the modernization of our program forward. SB 630 passed the Senate Floor 34 YES, 1 NO and AB 1138 passed the Assembly floor 73 YES, 1 NO.
While the programmatic changes in those bills are important, the next phase of our fight is the critical step to secure the additional $420 million in funding to expand our current $330 million program to $750 million annually.
These two components, modernization and expansion, were designed to work TOGETHER, and passing one without the other will result in either further job erosion or fewer productions applying under the program.
SO WHAT’S NEXT?
On June 15, the main state budget will need to be approved to keep the funding and operation of the state moving. We want to be clear, it is unlikely our funding will be included in the main budget as a line item.
IF WE ARE NOT IN THE BUDGET, DOES THAT MEAN THE INCREASED FUNDING THAT THE GOVERNOR PROPOSED IN JANUARY IS OFF THE TABLE?
No.
Our program, instead of being a part of the main budget, will be introduced as a trailer bill to pass both the modernization through the recently passed AB 1138 and SB 630 and the expansion of the allotted yearly cap that has been proposed by the Governor. Joining the bills with the funding in a budget trailer bill immediately is the only way to save jobs, protect this business and support our California economy.
IF NOT PART OF THE MAIN BUDGET, WHEN WILL THIS TRAILER BILL THAT COMBINES THE MODERNIZATION AND FUNDING OF OUR PROGRAM BE TAKEN TO A VOTE?
This is the most significant part of our fight.
While this vote could take place over the next several weeks, or even months, our fight now is to stress the urgency of getting this taken to a vote and passed immediately.
Ideally, we would like to see this trailer bill passed to take effect July 1st so that studios can begin to plan for the next months and year to utilize this program and incentivize more production work throughout the state immediately.
This is where we continue to need your support.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Keep making your voices heard by taking a moment to send a letter of support and urgency to get the expansion and modernization of our program passed through a budget trailer as soon as next week.
Our Governor signaled his support in October of last year when he put forth the idea of the additional $420 million annually and he doubled down again when he included it in his January proposed budget and the May revise budget and now we need him – along with the leadership of the state Assembly and Senate to get this across the finish line.
While this process is complicated and there are many moving parts, our message is clear:
- We have widespread support for the programmatic changes in both the Assembly and Senate
- The Governor continues to support the additional $420 million expansion of the program
- We need the programmatic changes and the funding to happen quickly and simultaneously in order to get people back to work.
Next week a small group of EUC leaders will be taking meetings with key stakeholders to stress the urgency and emergency of the moment.
With your support, we can get this done.
Keep writing letters and stay tuned for more updates.
