On Wednesday, November 23rd, Governor Mitt Romney signed the tax incentive bill that the Boston AFTRA/SAG office, along with numerous other industry members, has been working to enact in Massachusetts. The new law puts the Bay State in the spotlight as a competitive venue for motion picture and commercial production, and not surprisingly is already garnering interest from motion picture studios that would not otherwise have come to the Commonwealth. Upon hearing the news, Mary Ann Hughes, Vice President, Film Production Planning, Walt Disney Company, commented, "This law makes Massachusetts very competitive in attracting film and TV production. We look forward to doing business in Massachusetts."

The new law will take effect in 90 days but will be retroactive to January 1, 2006. Its principal elements include a 20% tax credit on all Massachusetts source payroll, a 25% tax credit on qualified production expense in Massachusetts, and a sales tax credit for producers who spend a minimum aggregate of $250,000 per year in the Commonwealth. The law is in place through the year 2013.

We have many people to thank for their leadership and support on this important issue. In the house - Speaker Sal DiMasi, Speaker Pro-Tem Tom Petrolati, Representative Tom O'Brien (the bill's chief sponsor), Representative Brain Wallace, Representative John Binienda, and Representative Daniel Webster. In the Senate - Senate President Robert Travaglini, Senator Jim Timilty, and Senator Cynthia Creem. And of course, Governor Mitt Romney. Our collaborative efforts will return millions of dollars of lost revenue to our state economy; revenue (and jobs) that otherwise would have been lost to other states or other countries.

We have more work ahead, most significantly on the creation of a state sanctioned film office under the Executive Office of Economic Development. We will continue to report to you on this and other important developments in our efforts to create more work opportunities for our members in New England.