L.A. Mayor Karen Bass is the latest politician to back an unlimited state tax incentive for film and TV production, following a similar move by her rival, Councilwoman Nithya Raman, last week.
Bass is facing a tough fight for reelection on June 2, and the dramatic downturn in production jobs has become a key issue in the race. As Assembly speaker, Bass helped pass the state’s original production credit lottery of $100 million. It has since grown to $750 million annually.
On Friday, she called for eliminating the cap entirely — though, like others, without offering an estimate of what that would cost.
“We are in a global battle for entertainment jobs, and we must hold nothing back in our fight,” Bass said in a statement. “This is about an industry that is essential to our middle class and who we are as a city.”
Raman called for an uncapped tax credit on April 21, saying it was important to give studios certainty that they would receive a state subsidy if they choose to film in California.
“Los Angeles is losing Hollywood,” Raman said at the time. “Not because productions want to leave, but because we’ve made it too hard for them to stay.”
In her statement on Friday, Bass also said she opposes Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery — unless it can be done without costing jobs.
“I cannot support a deal that results in massive job losses,” Bass said. “I urge federal regulators to enforce job protections and creative freedom during the approval process, and I call on Paramount’s leadership to redouble its commitment to the industry workers in our city.”
The mayor of Los Angeles has no formal role in setting state subsidy levels, which are controlled by the Legislature and the governor. Past L.A. mayors — including Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti — have long made a point of lobbying Sacramento to protect their hometown industry. Bass also appeared alongside Gov. Gavin Newsom when he announced his intention to increase the program to $750 million in 2024, and when he signed the bill into law in 2025.
Villaraigosa, who is now running for governor, was among the first to call for eliminating the cap. He was soon joined by Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, and by Steve Hilton, the leading Republican in the race.
At the local level, Bass has also announced a pilot program to cut permit fees for “low impact” productions and a discount on parking costs for a year. Raman has challenged Bass on not paying enough attention to the issue, saying she waited too long to appoint a film czar, and then picked someone without industry experience. Bass’ team has countered that Raman took no action on the issue during five years on the council.
Spencer Pratt, the reality TV star who entered the race after his home burned down in the Palisades fire, has said there should be “no fees” on productions.
“It’s time to bring this business back,” Pratt said in a podcast interview last month. “We need everybody to be able to work.”
(Pictured: Karen Bass, Nithya Raman)
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