Gov. Jerry Brown AWOL in Hollywood Tax Credit Debate

Many Hollywood forces want California to boost the number of tax incentives given to filmmakers to keep projects from fleeing the state. LA Mayor Eric Garcetti is one of the biggest proponents of the potential increase.

Gov. Jerry Brown, however, refuses to commit to the cause.

Brown waffled this week when asked about the tax incentives this week, signaling his administration isn’t ready to fully back the movement meant to keep Hollywood productions in the Golden State. The governor introduced a state budget that didn’t include a bump to the state’s existing $100 million tax credit program.

There’s a lot of things to talk about and certainly the topic you mentioned will be right there,” Brown said in response to a pair of Deadline’s questions, naming off several other state-funded programs outlined in his $156.2 billion budget. “My job is to present a balanced budget dealing with the core services.” Brown said there undoubtably be a revised version of the revised budget before June 15.

Brown’s lack of commitment to expanding the state’s Film and TV Tax credit program comes the same day that LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and the mayors of California’s nine other biggest cities publicly advocated such a move … If not renewed or expanded, the current program is set to fully expire on July 1, 2017. While he didn’t weigh in much the last time the program was up, Brown signed a two-year extension to the production incentive program on September 30, 2012, the last day possible.