Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546034
7 F A L L Q 3 I S S U E P R E S I D E N T ' S M E S S A G E 'LOUDLY & PROUDLY' HOW AND WHY WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING IN SACRAMENTO By F. Hudson Miller W orking on getting the Califor- nia Post-Production Tax Credit bill passed has been an odyssey. Now, as the fate of this legislation hangs in the balance, I want to take a few minutes to explain the process, why it matters, and how you can help us win this fight. California's post-production business has been on a steep decline since 2022. Local 700's California membership has shrunk more than 15 percent in the last four years, a loss of more than 1,100 hard- working, middle-class members. These are our brothers, sisters, and kin, talented artists and craftspeople whose lives have been upended by the employment crisis within our industry. We can't pretend that this tax credit — AB 2319 — will solve all of California's post-production problems, but it's a solid start. The Editors Guild is no stranger to standalone post-production tax bills. In 2010, we joined forces with Post New York Alliance to support the enactment of the New York Post-Production Tax Credit. In the last 15 years, the New York tax credit has successfully increased employment for our New York members. In June of last year, the state of New Jersey passed its own post tax credit, which is expected to improve employment for our members in that state. While we have been very successful in advancing AB2319 through the legislative process, we still face the real possibility that the bill could die before summer's end. Politics is a funny business, where the difference between victory and defeat can hinge on a single vote of a single legislator on a single committee. While we are ab- solutely committed to advancing the tax credit legislation to Governor Newsom's desk and watching him sign it into law, we also fully understand that temporary defeat remains a real possibility. Another possible outcome is that the AB2319 is enacted, but without funding. So what happens to a bill with no implementa- tion funding? Not much. It sits on the books, waiting, hoping to be funded at another time. If that happens, we are prepared to redouble our efforts when the 2026-2027 Legislature is seated on December 1. Because so much of this process has been driven by the California Legislature's calendar, there hasn't been time to explain in detail how the legislative process works, let alone how we plan to pass and fund the bill. One member of our Political Engage- ment Committee described it best: "It's like writing the script and shooting the footage after the film is already in post!" In brief, here's how AB2319 went from concept to concrete legislation aimed at creating solid middle - class union jobs in California. The day I was sworn in as president of the Editors Guild in January, I was intro- duced to Marielle Abaunza of the newly formed California Post Alliance (CAPA). She was eager to tell me about CAPA and their plan to introduce legislation for a California standalone post-production tax incentive. Weeks later, California Assemblymem- ber Nick Schultz (who represents Burbank and the surrounding area) introduced the bill. On April 6, after extensive meetings with Schultz and CAPA, the Editors Guild announced our support of the bill in prin- ciple; however, we conditioned our support upon the inclusion of "improved labor standards" language. In short, we needed language added to the bill supporting strong middle-class union jobs, jobs that would meet prevailing industry wages and benefits (including health insurance and a pension plan). That same day, National Executive Di- rector Scott George, Vice President Shiran Miller, and I flew to Sacramento to lobby state legislators on behalf of our members. Armed with thousands of letters from you and the personal testimonies of your broth- ers, sisters, and kin, we successfully pressed for the bipartisan passage of a California tax incentive. Wave after wave of emails and phone calls flooded three Assembly com- mittees. As a result, AB2319 passed all three committees (8-0), (6-1), (15-0), as well as an Assembly floor vote (73-3)! By the end of F. Hudson Miller. P H OT O : D E V E R I L L W E E K E S Miller speaking at an April 2026 press conference about AB2319.