A new report on the high cost of film credits made headlines across the state, and our budget analysts continued to weigh in on the ongoing debate over tax exemptions during a busy month at the Louisiana Budget Project.
LBP was cited more than 20 times in news articles and editorials. Most of them were related to a new report by Tim Mathis, “Louisiana Film Tax Credits: Costly Giveaways to Hollywood.” LBP also was invited to present its findings at a community meeting and had a letter to the editor published in The Advocate.
Here are some highlights from our recent media coverage:
- “Follow the Money,”Baton Rouge Business Report, an in-depth look at the tax-exemption debate.
- “Film Tax Credits Costs State Too Much, Report Says,”Times-Picayune
- “Louisiana Film Tax Breaks Program Needs Limits,”Shreveport Times
- “Watchdog: LA film tax credit bombs,” Town Talk and The Advertiser
The film credits report was featured in a segment on Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “Louisiana: The State We’re In,” where Mathis participated in a panel discussion alongside David Tatman of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association, Chris Stelly, Executive Director of the Louisiana Office of Entertainment Industry Development and actor David Jensen. Click here to watch the segment.
In other news, LBP is proud to introduce David Gray, who joined the team this month as a budget analyst under a two-year fellowship sponsored by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. A native of New Orleans, David holds two undergraduate degrees from Tulane University and recently completed his Master of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. While studying for his master’s in California, David also worked as a policy analyst for the city of Richmond, Calif., and as the Graduate Minority Student Project Coordinator at Berkeley.
Finally, LBP has added a new feature to its website: Tax Exemptions 101, a one-stop shop for anyone seeking information about tax exemptions. Under the new link readers can find all of LBP’s work on the subject, and relevant material from other sources. Two new Power Point presentations are also available on our website under the “LBP Presents” tab. The first gives an overview of the tax exemption debate, while the second presentation provides background on the federal Affordable Care Act and its impact on Louisiana.
