[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6560847,"mediaKeyId","3307060-e61b9b5b038644f3951cb5285c56f1d8","parentId",3307060,"title","SAG‑AFTRA and filmmakers warn runaway production and tax and grant changes threaten California jobs","audioSeconds",3023,"startMs",1577000,"endMs",4600000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3307060-e61b9b5b038644f3951cb5285c56f1d8&start=1577&end=4600","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3307060-e61b9b5b038644f3951cb5285c56f1d8/thumbnail_1577000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6560847/California/SAGAFTRA-and-filmmakers-warn-runaway-production-and-tax-and-grant-changes-threaten-California-jobs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6560847-1a5abdcc8f6a56cfb5b8a2ae64f14842/orig.mp4?Expires=1770411161&Signature=Xe3C6nxxSi~1WRy9cdIyM~dv0eDTZYywiK-NUtMn6QcdMH4Wdlg4OxdvzjHjA4puAD3bcJDrwpDFi5sS0W2XpM4B5Q4mEKeg75Tg5-jVUBxtgfrF5MmpjSXSHq0ZRRiQLZQEuiWizcmGaP0V~jPb7AjxaN4i0CKdYBcqJkgbalW65Z5yRYb2imDtmOwp-MVhOlzTBa22uhhrw2QUAehplU9YrHiDaOfOkKFho2AJg4ZTveveIyeSAfjSGbDU3AVgTgly-fnpJPu9pvFoMHIpiMmm~t0YftPpILbVZSXg9WW9weieQ0eAHx4yQRP~db8ltY72ZACW5iVbY9-mqAUEfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","California State Assembly","date","2025-05-14T00:00:00Z","article","Union and industry witnesses said federal policy uncertainty and international incentives have already driven production and related jobs out of California, threatening a wide ecosystem of workers beyond actors and directors.

Julie Fisher, national secretary-treasurer of SAG‑AFTRA, told the joint committees that other countries have created government-backed incentives that attracted U.S. film and television production overseas. Fisher urged state and federal action, including a federal production labor tax credit to complement state incentives and the Performing Artists Tax Parity Act (PAPPA), which updates a qualified performing-artist tax deduction.

Documentary producers described immediate impacts on projects and freelancers. Jacob Kornbluth, a documentary filmmaker, said grants that would have funded postproduction work were canceled; he told lawmakers he had lost roughly $800,000 in project funding for the year and that editors, composers and technicians he planned to hire were now unavailable.

SAG‑AFTRA and other witnesses also described the effect on the broader supply chain: musicians who score films, local caterers, dry cleaners and transportation services depend on production work. “Some of my husband’s friends moved to Atlanta because there just wasn't any work,” Fisher said.

State tools and requests: witnesses supported strengthening California’s film and production tax incentives and urged state protections for performing artists (advocates noted a proposed Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund had been cut in a recent budget revision). Panelists recommended a mix of federal and state policy changes: production tax parity, targeted payroll supports for small nonprofit theaters and protections against IP misuse from synthetic voice and likeness technologies.

Why it matters: California’s creative cluster concentrates suppliers, talent and support services; economists at the hearing said that concentration multiplies the impact of public investment and that losing cluster capacity risks long-term economic decline in film, music and related sectors.

Next steps: committee members pledged to coordinate with industry and labor on incentives and workforce programs and to consider state-level measures to retain production and protect creative workers as federal action proceeds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Hearing Joint Committee on Arts and Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee","oneSentenceSummary","SAG‑AFTRA and documentary filmmakers told a legislative panel that productions are moving to other states and countries, that federal policy and tax-code gaps worsen the problem, and that California should preserve and expand incentives and worker protections to keep production and crews in state.","taxTitle","California State Assembly, House, Legislative, California","taxId",17099,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6560852,"California museums and libraries warn of lost grants as IMLS, NEA and state programs face cuts",3264,4039000,7303000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3307060-e61b9b5b038644f3951cb5285c56f1d8&start=4039&end=7303","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3307060-e61b9b5b038644f3951cb5285c56f1d8/thumbnail_4039000.jpg","/articles/6560852/California/California-museums-and-libraries-warn-of-lost-grants-as-IMLS-NEA-and-state-programs-face-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6560852-236ba4a9ed8532af40d4a24322ac52d3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770411161&Signature=WpdoHZEW0F1vUxVFGXGmOM0HDcIG-VRah6tUCDWRFNOcwYVkqk14kheQwF2IW6PadcMXpOwueo6YtXK~Wn2n8PmExdIW5lpnW6TpeyvUaYes3qkt-QpPTr-H3rqmAKUCXWOWm5k0B-61tt99yfv2uw87VtFkfegO27-Gm~~~H3N0MQm8F9ovwcXF7inOVt65TK~DVOIiJks~5tHZsPuTHeIYh4fykw9vxOmmDe8GQni3XMhj7s8qmsqAPZbo342c4REaDpdroUKAtOvaqkg2QpcxRVVkpQYjh4xAyodMB9mJdOlKDcUGdtqJYF20p1eG--gXYNnecJ9bxtQkjeylMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Directors of California's state library and arts agencies, and representatives of museums large and small, told legislators that federal and state funding disruptions are already interrupting education, preservation, and public‑facing programs.

Greg Lucas, California State Librarian, said federal IMLS payments were briefly canceled and then partly restored; at one point the state faced a roughly $3.4 million shortfall for the current fiscal year, and he said only 50% of next-year federal IMLS funds were guaranteed when he testified. “We had a $3,400,000 hole in this year's budget,” Lucas told the committee, adding that the partnership with IMLS supports statewide ebook systems and other services that reach small and rural libraries.

Danielle Purcell, director of the California Arts Council (CAC), described rapid damage assessment work after NEA termination notices and said the CAC is preparing talking points and working with arts specialists who support local partners across 58 counties. Purcell noted that NEA partnership agreements were approved for FY 2025 but that the White House’s FY 2026 proposal to eliminate NEA, NEH and IMLS had created urgent uncertainty.

Museum leaders urged the Legislature to restore a recently defunded state museum grant program. Jennifer Caballero, executive director of the California Association of Museums, told the committee that a $27.9 million museum grant fund in the California Cultural and Historical Endowment was eliminated during 2024 budget negotiations despite 148 applicants requesting roughly $80 million. She said California museums together support roughly $6.5 billion in economic activity and serve more than 22 million visitors annually.

Anne Burrows, president and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum, said her institution had already lost $1.5 million in awards—about 20% of its operating budget—and was weighing whether to accept future federal awards if they arrived with conditions tied to the administration’s priorities.

Why it matters: museum and library grants support school visits, preservation of at‑risk collections, workforce development and climate‑related exhibits. Panelists said those services reach low‑income and rural students who lack private philanthropic support and rely on public funding.

Lawmakers’ response: several members pressed witnesses for district-level impact data and discussed options including restoring the CAC budget (advocates requested a $5 million restoration) and appropriating bond funds reserved for climate and natural‑history projects.

Ending note: witnesses described ongoing coordination with federal agencies, litigation where appropriate, and an urgent need for state contingency planning to maintain core services while federal appeals and congressional appropriations play out.","Leaders from the California State Library, California Arts Council and several major museums testified that IMLS and NEA terminations and state-level grant rescissions have jeopardized exhibits, school visits and technical services; witnesses asked legislators to restore $27.9 million in museum grant funding and consider other state remedies.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6560857,"California Humanities says NEH termination halted nearly $1 million in awards, asks state for emergency support",431,3594000,4025000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3307060-e61b9b5b038644f3951cb5285c56f1d8&start=3594&end=4025","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3307060-e61b9b5b038644f3951cb5285c56f1d8/thumbnail_3594000.jpg","/articles/6560857/California/California-Humanities-says-NEH-termination-halted-nearly-1-million-in-awards-asks-state-for-emergency-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6560857-8215badfa8e9a21108f3e70b59e8d392/orig.mp4?Expires=1770411161&Signature=DDOML-PCpUY66Jzr4wSguEc~YD1roGpuPkKqyZujW~nhotjhUPvJokI3OrDMyzXZGbM-ny5geqj3X1mdx3yTE2fsOAAD66cXZ~GznoFKNTS7h3ha56VzrKb4fupHCXTL0zkkry-bSUPHCiCOdkWTL8l8eYptckUoE3QhYfsu0TPtEGiiZWtEY4Eg6I3C2vfjkgvhKXtf~gwVdo07pYaAxBpw4Veui1Kg1-8--idRnNYGhchZ7g5LP3fSdq3q9odlMYHpX5jVMxh~nUZqT7umHED9q2DVQMZS0JE64j2SUIn2Ev3UjNwgvYnzJyEbqnJZSWPWIKVSR7bQjVI4RJQC1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","California Humanities President and CEO Rick Noguchi told a legislative hearing that the nonprofit’s federal funding was terminated on April 2, leaving the organization without its primary revenue stream.

Noguchi said California Humanities, a designated state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), operates on an annual budget of about $4.5 million—most of it federal—and that the NEH told the organization its work “no longer effectuates the needs and priorities of the agency” and that funding would be repurposed under the administration’s priorities.

The consequences: Noguchi said awards that were about to be finalized were halted immediately. He told lawmakers roughly $970,000 in FY 2025 grants the council expected to award were not made, and an additional roughly $2 million in FY 2026 grants were at risk. California Humanities has long backed documentary work and local humanities projects; Noguchi said the organization has granted more than $44 million since 1975 and supported about 2,175 nonprofit partners statewide.

“No one warned us,” Noguchi said in his testimony. He told the committee the council has reserves but will need help to sustain operations and to continue regranting to local partners if federal funding is not restored. Because California Humanities is an independent nonprofit rather than a state agency, Noguchi said state attorneys general have limited ability to litigate on the group’s behalf and the organization is exploring private legal representation and multi‑state litigation options through its national federation.

Why it matters: California Humanities funds projects in every assembly district, including documentary production, school programming and local-history projects that Washington funding often leverages with state and private dollars. Noguchi urged the committee to consider short-term state investments and the possibility of a dedicated funding mechanism—such as a ballot measure—to sustain humanities work if federal funding remains uncertain.

What lawmakers heard: Members expressed support and asked staff to quantify district-by-district losses. Noguchi said his group had appealed the NEH decision and is coordinating nationwide with other state humanities councils and advocates.

Ending note: Noguchi emphasized the humanities’ role in teaching civic values and asked the Legislature whether it would commit emergency funding to preserve programs that reach classrooms, libraries and community organizations across California.","California Humanities told lawmakers its NEH-funded program budget was terminated without warning, putting 12 grantees and multiple documentary projects at risk and requesting state-level contingency funding and exploration of a dedicated revenue source.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6560862,"California lawmakers and cultural leaders warn federal cuts threaten state arts, museums and libraries",7394,6000,7400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3307060-e61b9b5b038644f3951cb5285c56f1d8&start=6&end=7400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3307060-e61b9b5b038644f3951cb5285c56f1d8/thumbnail_6000.jpg","/articles/6560862/California/California-lawmakers-and-cultural-leaders-warn-federal-cuts-threaten-state-arts-museums-and-libraries","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6560862-3884bf69f98f04be75f6582fc528b1c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770411161&Signature=WguP8jTK6LECJ6tj-mnXQUSN4h4~QnWSD4UbqAnxPqtfc9n2y8vkOqzRPsZVmFK6RzuC3062GEa7~s8qe8Yzf-skYpXo5mTvUC750wmf1MQsieGMo~tsPG~BvinaH-ZX8ylhw564lPeC~Ow8wPwlS-Mq6EConQndqBauz1lp8wtK4Qok7I6iqns8asNPFxvhcZJC9LNS8-eDaQp6MsqLpLXb2l0oN7NsXI3KzzcyPMQFq6GVtqwPYvIZtGZTHK967FOMFPSatzNAWTXzXJYkaTqF~8w68OstJGtMdXhgRKYuG1biAFCX46EYAqri23Y-8KwRNCwfafEibblE6Fcgvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A joint informational hearing convened by Senator Ben Allen and Assemblymember Christopher Ward drew arts leaders, museum directors, filmmakers and union representatives to warn that recent federal actions are disrupting programs and jobs across California's creative economy.

Speakers told the Joint Committee on the Arts and the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism that federal grant terminations and a proposed FY 2026 budget that would zero out the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) have already forced organizations to pause projects and lay out contingency plans.

Why it matters: testimony cited canceled or at-risk grants that fund education programs, documentaries, museum exhibits and library services that reach rural and urban communities alike. Erin Harkey, chief executive officer of Americans for the Arts, told the committee that the administration’s FY 2026 proposal “calls for the entire zeroing out of NEA, NEH and IMLS and the loss of public funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.” That proposal, witnesses said, would cut federal dollars that are often leveraged to recruit state, local and private matching funds.

Testimony and evidence
- Erin Harkey (Americans for the Arts) summarized national data and a pulse survey showing rescinded federal grants and advising some organizations to remove DEI language to preserve funding.
- Rick Noguchi (president and CEO, California Humanities) said California Humanities’ roughly $4.5 million annual budget—mostly federal—was cut without warning and that nearly $970,000 in FY 2025 awards were halted; $2 million in FY 2026 grants were at risk.
- Greg Lucas (California State Librarian) said an IMLS award of roughly $15 million for California libraries was briefly canceled and then partially restored; he warned that only 50% of next-year funding had been guaranteed at the time of testimony.
- Danielle Purcell (director, California Arts Council) described the NEA partnership process and that NEA termination notices had been “selectively widespread,” prompting the council to assess damage and coordinate with grantees.
- Julie Fisher (national secretary-treasurer, SAG-AFTRA) described production moving overseas, the union’s support for federal production tax incentives and the performing-artist tax parity act that would update the qualified performing-artist deduction.

Committee response and next steps
Senators and assembly members repeatedly asked what California could do at the state level—through direct appropriations, program replacement, ballot measures or targeted workforce supports—to backstop organizations and workers if federal funding remains uncertain. Witnesses urged rapid state action to restore or replace lost funding, create multi‑year grant options, and expand outreach to nontraditional allies in business and tourism.

What remains uncertain: witnesses described parallel paths of advocacy and litigation at the federal level but warned litigation and congressional fixes may be slow. Several panelists said some agency awards had been reinstated or partially restored while others remained terminated, and that long-term prospects depended on congressional action and agency appeals.

The hearing closed with lawmakers and advocates agreeing to continue working together to quantify local impacts, press for reinstatement of federal awards, and pursue state-level contingency funding to preserve programming, jobs and services.","At a joint informational hearing, state lawmakers and arts leaders said recent federal actions and proposed budget cuts to the NEA, NEH and IMLS have already disrupted grants and programs across California and urged state action to shore up funding and services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

SAG‑AFTRA and filmmakers warn runaway production and tax and grant changes threaten California jobs

California museums and libraries warn of lost grants as IMLS, NEA and state programs face cuts

California Humanities says NEH termination halted nearly $1 million in awards, asks state for emergency support

California lawmakers and cultural leaders warn federal cuts threaten state arts, museums and libraries