Legislation designed to bring the TV and film industry to bring projects to the Show-Me State is being considered by a Missouri House committee. Rep. Brian Seitz, R-Branson, is the sponsor of House Bill 169, which establishes the Missouri Entertainment Industry Investment Act and the Missouri Entertainment Industry Postproduction Investment Act. He tells the Economic Development Committee that Missouri doesn’t incentivize the industry to come to the state.
“When I presented this bill in committee last session, I spoke about a new show, Kansas City King, starring Sylvester Stallone,” according to Seitz. “Because this bill, which passed out of committee, with unanimous support, was not brought to the floor, Kansas City King became Tulsa King and we lost revenue to the state of Oklahoma. Furthermore, projects that would portray Missouri, should be filmed in Missouri.”
During the committee, several individuals mentioned how this legislation could make Missouri’s film and TV industry, if this passes, mirror that of Georgia’s, which put smiles on many lawmakers’ faces inside the room, given how much of an economic boom it would be for the state.
Erin Brower, the Senior Director of Governmental Affairs at Hallmark, which is headquartered in Kansas City, spoke during public testimony on how the proposed tax incentives would help the company’s bottom line. Last year, they shot 92 movies, with the majority of those being filmed in Canada, which provides, as she calls the tax credits, ‘extremely generous.’ She was asked why the company doesn’t film in the state they are headquartered in.
“Tax credits is going to be the number one decisionmaker because we are making so many movies, 92 movies last year, that’s the only the way the budget can work when you’re creating scripted shows, scripted movies,” Brower said. “I’m a Kansas City native, I would be personally thrilled to have something in the Kansas City area.”
Not everyone was on board with the proposed legislation as Jeremy Cady with Americans for Prosperity questioned if those tax credits could be better spent elsewhere in Missouri, like on infrastructure. He also told lawmakers he does not want the government to incentivize one industry over another.
Under the proposed bill, the state would provide up to $20 million in tax credits annually with a six-year sunset date, which allows lawmakers to revisit it.
Two other pieces of legislation were introduced in the committee with correlate with Rep. Seitz’s bill. They include House Bill 239 from Rep. Travis Smith, R-Dora, which would establish the Show Missouri Film and Digital Media Act and House Bill 675 from Rep. Kurtis Gregory, R-Marshall, which establishes the Show MO Act.
Click here for more information on HB 169.
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