Assembly Ways and Means Committee Advances Handout to Multibillion-Dollar Corporate Studios

NEVADA—Today, the Assembly Ways and Means Committee voted to advance AB238 without recommendation, the first of two bills to give corporate movie studios hundreds of millions in tax breaks, turning their backs on the needs of Nevadans across the country as the price of gas, groceries, and basic necessities continues to increase, and as the state stares down a possible catastrophic federal funding shortfall for programs like Medicaid and SNAP. The bill will now head to a vote on the Assembly floor.

Alexander Marks, Deputy Executive Director, Nevada State Education Association, issues the following statement:

“The Nevada Film Marquee reads A Waste Side Story: The $2 Session, directed by ‘Schools over Studios.’ Rated F, like our education national rankings, for fiscal recklessness and misplaced priorities.

The same week the Legislature approved a pathetic $2 increase to per pupil funding that will harm our schools, while flatly rejecting the Commission on School Funding’s plan to fully fund public education, they have turned their attention to giving Hollywood $1.65 billion in public money. Our elected officials talk about valuing education, but their actions tell a different story. While nearly every politician claims to prioritize public schools, there’s a competing record of corporate giveaways that have drained over a billion dollars from Nevada’s budget.

Nevada can't afford these handouts to corporations. We are short $604 million in education funding this biennium and we trail the national average by $4099 per student. Throwing another $1.65 billion at a misguided corporate project won’t solve Nevada’s education crisis, it will deepen it. Nevada’s students need the Blockbuster Budget; Hollywood does not need to use Nevada’s budget for its blockbusters.”

Cassie Charles, Nevada Political Representative for AFSCME, issued the following statement:

“AFSCME members across the state are calling on the legislative body to stand with our hardworking public employees and not billion dollar Hollywood corporations. Nevada’s state employees are some of the lowest paid public workers in the country and we have seen time and time again that cuts to the Nevada general fund means furloughs, pay decreases, and the slashing of benefit programs for our workers that support our state every day. AB238 is a risky and fiscally irresponsible deal that will prevent growth for public sector workers for the next decade. AFSCME members have a clear ask: fund the 3% raises they fought for and won at the bargaining table, not the billion dollar corporate hand out for Hollywood studios.”

Shelbie Swartz, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement:

“It should go without saying that Nevada is open for business—but that doesn’t mean we’re here to be played. We’ve seen how this ends: trickle-down promises, flashy ribbon cuttings, and then nothing. Meanwhile, working families are left with underfunded schools, unaffordable housing, and a cost of living that just keeps climbing. Additionally, Trump’s recently passed budget slashes healthcare, housing, and food assistance—gutting the safety net so billionaires and megacorporations can hoard even more.

“But here’s the thing: our own state leaders don’t get to denounce those cuts in D.C. while making the same bad deals in Carson City. You can’t rail against Washington for selling out the middle class and then roll out the red carpet for Sony and Warner Brothers to do it here at home. If we really want a diversified economy, we should stop handing blank checks to big business and start investing in Nevada’s real assets—our people.

“Trickle-down economics didn’t work then, and it won’t work now. This state can’t afford to fall for the same scam twice, and we implore the larger Assembly to make the right choice for Nevada’s families.”

Stacey Shinn, State Director of the State Innovation Exchange Action, issued the following statement:

“Nevada simply cannot afford to bankroll billion-dollar studios while our state budget faces deficits and urgent needs go unmet. Other states have poured taxpayer dollars into film tax credits, only to see little return—recovering as little as 15 cents per dollar spent and sometimes paying over $100,000 per job. Meanwhile, studios chase the biggest handouts, leaving as soon as a better deal comes. Warner Brothers and Sony have profited off taxpayer-funded subsidies in states like California and Georgia, inflating housing costs and driving up expenses for working families. We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes. Nevadans are already struggling with rising costs—we should invest in them, not in corporate giveaways that only benefit Hollywood executives. Nevada’s future isn’t for sale.”

SPOKESPEOPLE ARE AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

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About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media.