Michigan's film incentive on the chopping block

Bill would end paying Hollywood producers to bring movies to Michigan

LANSING, Mich. – Hollywood may be getting the heave-ho. A bill up for discussion in the Michigan House would end paying Hollywood producers to bring their movies to Michigan in October.

The balance sheet looks like this: The film incentive program has been in place for seven years, 500 million of taxpayer dollars have been spent and the state said only 1,561 jobs have been created. Add that balance sheet to a state that has a $300 million budget hole.

"When you've got to fill a $300 million to $325 million budget hole, this is an easy $50 million to help you get to your target," said political strategist Dennis Darnoi.

Teamsters packed a committee room in Lansing on Wednesday lobbying to keep the film incentive, but Lansing sources told Local 4 that the votes are there to get the bill out of committee and onto the House floor, where we're told if a vote was held now it would pass.

There has not been a lot of love for the film incentive in the Legislature, with the exception of former Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville, who was the industry's champion. Richardville has been term-limited out of office and now the program has no one with any real power to make deals on its behalf.

While the Teamsters showed up to plead to keep the incentive, plenty of business types showed up to urge legislators to dump it.

"There's just not the return on investment there," said Tricia Kinley, with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. "It is unfair to taxpayers to continue subsidize out-of-state Hollywood film producers."

The bill is expected to make it to the House floor sometime next week.


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