Film Legislation:

• SB 58 by Senator Kevin Murray, as amended on April 18th, would authorize a credit against those taxes for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2005, in an amount equal to 15% of the qualified amount for qualified wages paid or incurred with respect to the production of each qualified motion picture. The bill is scheduled to be heard in Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee on June 8. Since this is a tax/ urgency bill and needs a 2/3 vote, it is not subject to the deadlines, which affect other measures.

• AB 261 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz, 'Film California First', was never heard in committee and is dead for the year.

• AB 1437 by Assemblymember Audrey Strickland is already in the Business and Professions Committee in the Second House after passing the Assembly unanimously. The bill establishes the Film Promotion and Marketing Fund into which funds from public and private sources will be deposited and allocated to the California Film Commission (CFC). It requires the proceeds received by the CFC from the sale of location library documents, photocopying, and other film-related informational documents to be deposited into the marketing fund.

• AB 777 by Speaker Nunez which would require the California Film Commission (CFC), in collaboration with specified state entities (including labor unions), to conduct a statewide analysis of the impact of runaway film production on the California film industry and report back to the Legislature no later than March 1, 2006. Assemblymember Ed Chavez jockeyed the bill on the floor and it passed 59 to 2 on June 1st. Now it goes to the Senate Rules Committee.

Film Appointment:

Ron Cowan, a Belvedere Democrat and CEO of the Doric Group real estate management company, was appointed to the California Film Commission on June 1st. His term runs through May 18, 2007.