Entertainment Union Coalition Statement on Passage of SB 132
The Entertainment Union Coalition applauds today’s announcement that the increased funding to our California Film and Television Tax Incentive Program is now official. Since Governor Newsom announced his intention to prioritize our program’s expansion late last year, our members’ activism has been the core driving force in our fight to retain and bring back good industry jobs to our state. Continue reading
On the morning of June 26, our modernization bill went before the Senate Rev & Taxation Committee again and was unanimously moved through in preparation for its final votes. We were the only bill heard today, which serves as a testament to the support we have received to move our modernization provisions forth before the July recess. Continue reading
Introduced yesterday by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review was a series of trailer bills (SB 132) put into print.
We are excited to share that our $750million/annual funding for our California Film and Television Jobs Program is included in it! This means that the Governor’s proposal on funding now has the support of both houses of the Legislature — which is a critical next step to move the money forward. Our lobbyists have informed us that we expect to see these trailer bills move through the budget committee JUNE 25 which will make us eligible to be heard on the floor for a final vote. To be clear, that finish line is still out in front of us but we are getting closer. Continue reading
This week, our Entertainment Union Coalition Board traveled to Sacramento to meet with key legislators and the Governor regarding the next steps to move our trailer bill — that includes the expansion and modernization of our Film and Television Jobs Program — forward QUICKLY.
Governor Newsom continues to express his commitment to the $750 million he has proposed for the funding of the program as a key priority in this very difficult budget year. We now need to merge the money with the programmatic changes that are in AB 1138/SB 630, and do so quickly so that we have a competitive California Film and Television Jobs Program. Critical players on these FINAL decisions are Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire. Both have been supportive of us, but they are faced with many difficult budget decisions and priorities in a year when CA is facing a significant deficit. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
A Message from AFM International President Tino GagliardiFor the past several months, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) has lobbied on behalf of musicians regarding Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2025-2026 Budget. For the first time, the AFM has taken a strong, proactive position to ensure we are heard in Sacramento. With thanks to Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) President Stephanie O’Keefe and AFM local leaders up and down the state, we have been successful. Our union now has a seat at the table among the other arts and entertainment unions and guilds. Continue reading
On the afternoon of June 4, SB 630 passed the Senate Floor 34 YES 1 NO, and that evening AB 11380 passed the Assembly floor 70 YES 1 NO.
Our fight continues to MODERNIZE and advocate for the inclusion of the EXPANSION by way of the Governor’s proposed budget.
WHAT CAN YOU DO RIGHT NOW?
1. 📝 Take 2 minutes to submit a letter to key elected officials through our re-launched campaign to ‘Keep California Rolling: Reel Jobs Need Real Action Now!” – send your letter
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Photo by Christian Castro/Teamsters Joint Council // Entertainment Union Coalition Lobby Day at the California State Capitol, April 22, 2025.
Big updates from Sacramento: AB 1138 & SB 630 successfully passed both committee hearings in Sacramento the week of April 21, 2025, and on April 28 the final vote from the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee was 6-1 in favor of passing AB 1138 out of the Committee and onto Appropriations (with Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, who represents north and east San Diego County, being the expected lone no vote). Watch the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee Hearing here.
In the end, we saw our bill move out of committee, which means we are one step closer in the process of modernizing our Film and Television Jobs Program. Continue reading
AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe (pictured center) with San Francisco AFM Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer Beth Zare (left) and President Kale Cumings (right) at a Joint Hearing meeting in the State Capitol on March 26, 2025 as part of the ntertainment Union Coalition.
On March 26, 2025, the Entertainment Union Coalition again traveled to Sacramento to advocate on behalf of the California Film & Television Jobs Program at a Senate Revenue and Tax Budget Subcommittee. Our own AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe and AFM Local 6 President Kale Cumings and Secretary-Treasurer Beth Zare joined close to 100 members of the Entertainment Union Coalition to show our support for the expansion of this program from $330 million annually to $750 million annually. Continue reading
This week, we traveled to Sacramento with over 100 entertainment union and guild members, all part of the Entertainment Union Coalition, to advocate for increased film and TV jobs across our state.
On March 4, we attended an Assembly Budget Subcommittee Hearing that focused on bringing production back to California through the Governor’s proposed expansion of the current incentive program, increasing funding from $330 million annually to $750 million annually. Continue reading