SAG-AFTRA Month in Pennsylvania

Representative Tom Murt announces to members from the Ohio-Pittsburgh and Philadelphia local that May 2014 has been declared SAG-AFTRA Month in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The remainder of the day was spent lobbying for the Pennsylvania film tax credit, as we met with about 30 representatives and senators, encouraging their support and showing our gratitude.

Currently, the Film Tax Credit cap is set at $60 million. While we were there, the House passed bill number 2083, which was sponsored by Rep. Stern and which authorized the reissuance of $22 million in film production tax credits that remained unused from last fiscal year.

Two bills regarding the film tax credit are currently pending in the Pennsylvania Senate. The first of them, SB 687, was proposed by state Sen. Wayne Fontana and would raise the cap on the film tax credit to $100 million. The second bill, SB 1035, was proposed by state Sen. Dominic Pileggi and would uncap the tax credit entirely.

A report from the Independent Fiscal Office concludes that uncapping the credit would have a significant positive impact on Pennsylvania’s economy with minimal cost in the coming fiscal year. Uncapping or increasing the tax credit will most definitely increase the amount of production in Pennsylvania, and therefore increase the amount of jobs and work available.

Please reach out to your state senator and representative to tell them how the tax credit has benefited you locally. To find out who your senator and representative is, click here and enter your street address.

If you have any questions regarding the film tax credit, please contact chelsea.danley@sagaftra.org.

This item was originally featured in the June 2014 local newsletter.