Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546034
8 C I N E M O N T A G E P R E S I D E N T ' S M E S S A G E May, the bill was headed to the State Senate. Act Two began with further negoti- ations for "improved labor standards" language and the delivery of thousands more letters, as well as our members' personal testimonies to State Senators. On June 24, Assemblymember Schultz presented the amended bill to the Senate Committee on Revenue and Taxation. He explained that states like New York and New Jersey, and the countries of Canada and Australia, among others, offer lucrative post-production tax breaks. "I hate to say it, but California is a little late to the game on this one," he added. With the required "improved labor standards" in place, I stated unequivocally to senators that the Motion Picture Edi- tors Guild "loudly, proudly, and without reservation, co-sponsors this bill." With Local 700's backing in place, California State Senators Ben Allen (Los Angeles) and Tim Grayson (Concord) agreed to become Senate co-authors of the bill. Concurrently, the California IATSE Council, representing 54,000 California IATSE rank-and-f ile workers, announced its support of AB2319. The bill passed out of committee on a 4-0 vote and was forwarded to the Senate Ap- propriations Committee. By the time you read this column, the California Legislature will have returned from its summer recess and will be busy passing the final bills of the 2025-2026 l e g i s l a t i ve s e ss i o n . O n A u g u s t 1 3, t h e seven-person Senate Appropriations Com- mittee will decide whether the post bill will move forward to a Senate floor vote. Also to be determined will be the future of the bill's $100 million annual funding request. If AB2319 passes out of the Senate by August 28, the Guild's first adventure into high-stakes politics will be approaching its climax. The focus will dramatically shift to Governor Newsom, who will have until September 30 to either accept or veto. If AB2319 is still standing in September, the Editors Guild will be pulling out all the stops to lobby Governor Newsom. Every step of the way, Scott George and I have asked you to write letters and make phone calls to both the California Legislature and Governor Newsom's office. We have been doing this for one simple rea- son: because it works. For California state lawmakers to keep their jobs, they must remain responsive to their constituencies. I witnessed this firsthand while testifying before the Senate Committee on Revenue and Taxation in June. As I held up a fistful of member letters, Senator Grayson signaled that he would sign on as a Senate coauthor of AB2319. Remember: if AB2319 does not pass in this legislative session, it is a setback — but not a defeat. The Editors Guild remains committed to AB2319 and will continue to fight for it and for our members in the new legislative session. Help us fight to bring post-production jobs back to California. Our members don't need a handout; they need an opportunity to compete fairly on a level playing field. A post-production tax credit will help level that field. The voices of our members are loud and clear, and our lawmakers are listening. ■ F. Hudson Miller is the President of the Motion Picture Editors Guild. Miller speaks up for AB2319 in Sacramento (top right); the Guild's "Spring Into Action" event for the bill in April (top left); graphic showing the steps the bill must take for passage; use QR for more details.