Future of Texas film incentive program will likely be debated again

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- A Texas lawmaker wants to abolish the program that promotes film, television and video game productions in the state. At present, productions can receive a cash grant based on the percentage of the project’s investments in Texas.

Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, has filed legislation to abolish the Music, Film, Television and Multimedia Office in the Office of the Governor and the Moving Image Industry Incentive Program. Shaheen filed a similar bill last session, but it wasn’t successful.

The 85th Texas Legislature ended up funding the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program and its administration with $32 million for the 2018-19 biennium.

“We just want to see a little bit of an increase so we can have the rest of the world know, ‘Hey, we are invested in this industry,’” Mindy Raymond, communications director of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance said in an interview.

Raymond is also president of New Republic Studios, which offers sound stages and production office space in Bastrop County.

“The landscape over the last few years has been decent,” she said. “We feel that there could be a lot more [productions]. People want to come to Texas. We have some of the most diverse locations of any state.”

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