he Alabama House today passed the Entertainment Industry Incentive Act of 2008 unanimously. There was no opposition to the bill from any private or government sectors. The bill will provide rebates and other incentives to production companies that choose Alabama as the location for their production. The bill currently has 55 co-sponsors from Alabama legislatures.
Alabama previously had a minimum incentive act that expired in 2005. The current bill is the most comprehensive bill of its kind ever proposed in Montgomery. It includes incentives for all aspects of a film or music video production.
The Alabama Education Association had no opposition to the incentive bill during the discussion today. The AEA has been against the bill in the past due to language that left too many issues unaddressed. The AEA has been concerned about the costs to the Education Trust Fund. An agreement in language and a few caps on expenditures has allowed the incentive bill to be agreeable to the AEA and the industry.
The passage of this house bill is a major triumph for the film and music industry as well as the more than 100 other occupations that will benefit from local film productions. This bill will allow the development of an infrastructure where Alabama can start marketing itself as the ideal state for film production.
The Incentive Bill will now be introduced to the Senate for a vote. There is an expectation in Montgomery and in the industry that the bill will pass. There are no indications that Gov. Bob Riley will veto the bill. Montgomery has seen the potential of revenue that can be generated for everyone in Alabama.
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