Legislation to keep film tax incentives in place permanently in Louisiana will be heard in House Ways and Means tomorrow and a recent poll indicates 66% of residents are in favor of those incentives. Acting President of the Louisiana Film Entertainment Association Trey Burvant said they commissioned the JMC Analytics Poll of 600 residents.
“When we embarked on the poll, we were curious to see and we were quite surprised at the return on the numbers,” said Burvant.
The data indicates there is broad support for the Louisiana film industry.
The survey also found that 78% of those polled are more likely to watch a movie if it was filmed in Louisiana. Burvant said seeing familiar places on the screen gives viewers a sense of belonging and it also brings visitors to the state.
“It is fun to see your hometown represented or the Superdome, or Tiger Stadium, or the mansion from Steel Magnolias which still gets a lot of patronage to this day thirty years later,” said Burvant.
The poll also asked which industry is the most deserving of tax incentives. Healthcare was ranked first with 25%, followed by Agriculture and Seafood with 21% and the Film Industry ranked 3rd with 14%. Film incentives ranked higher than the petrochemical sector.
“I hope that this information helps gives legislators a deeper insight into what the residents of this state think about our industry and how positive it is,” said Burvant.
Current film Incentives in Louisiana will be sunset in 2025, House Bill 562, authored by House Speaker Clay Schexnayder’s, would make the incentives permanent.
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