Keep California the Capital of Film and Entertainment

First, we must block corporate mergers in entertainment. Californians want jobs, not monopolies. As Governor, Tom will not let corporations prioritize profits over the artists and craftspeople who built California into the cultural capital of the world. Tom will firmly oppose megamergers like Warner Bros.-Paramount, which enriches executives and shareholders at the direct expense of working people.

Second, Tom will defend and expand film tax credits. Tom refuses to let California get outbid or outmaneuvered by other states and other countries. Californians shouldn’t have to travel halfway around the world to work in the industry we invented. The California Film and Television Tax Credit Program has created nearly 200,000 jobs. Those tax credits not only enable us to compete on cost with other states and countries around the world, but they are also crucial investments that return far more money than we put into them.

Tom will support our tax credit system to protect California’s film industry. Tom will also expand the California Film Commission’s ability to provide additional resources and support. Investing in this industry and the artists and craftspeople who make it possible isn’t just important for Hollywood. It’s a great investment for every Californian.

We must treat our entertainment industry as the vitally important economic and cultural engine it is. As Governor, Tom won’t let us be outcompeted by states like Georgia and New York, or countries like Canada and the UK, which offer richer, simpler, and uncapped incentives. Tom will make sure the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program is the most competitive in the world—because doing so is an investment that will pay off for the entire state

Third, we must eliminate the bureaucratic hurdles surrounding permitting, regulations, and logistics that slow down productions. It has simply become too cumbersome to build and create in California. As Governor, Tom will cut through red tape across the state, making it easier for producers to keep their schedules on track—especially in a tight-budget era.

Fourth, we must stop AI from robbing creators and performers from getting rewarded for their work. Tom will make sure we protect and reward human creativity and effort in the AI era. The 2023 Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists agreement was an important breakthrough in making sure creators and performers get paid for their work and control their creations and likeness. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) 2024 contract agreements included a pioneering provision for labor that declared any work of an employee who utilizes or oversees the use of AI is considered covered work. Protecting those rights should be the law in California.

Fifth, Tom will expand funding for training and apprenticeships in the entertainment sector. As Governor, Tom will ensure our existing workforce is upskilled and reskilled, while empowering young people from all backgrounds to pursue creative careers. Robust training is a vital pathway to attract and retain talent, developing the skilled workforce needed to support productions across California.

Sixth, Tom will expand state arts funding to support public arts initiatives. As Governor, Tom will expand the California Arts Council and fund new public works of art that keep our talented artists and craftspeople employed right here in their communities.

Seventh, Tom will work with national leaders to champion California’s film and entertainment industry around the globe. California must lead the push for federal incentives that work hand-in-hand with state programs to promote our creative sector abroad and protect production at home.

Eighth, Tom will defend live performance venues from being squeezed out of existence. Venues are the bedrock of California's creative landscape, but skyrocketing overhead costs and predatory corporations threaten the very foundation that supports the next generation of artists. To preserve California's rich artistic history, we need common-sense solutions that lower operating costs for independent venues, fiercely protect our workers and artists, and break the grip of monopolies driving them out of business.

Ninth, Tom will crack down on exorbitant ticket fees and price gouging. Live entertainment is an essential shared experience. It connects our communities, and our laws must protect the artists creating that magic and the fans paying to see it – not corporate monopolies. The recent federal court ruling against Live Nation and Ticketmaster proves that states have the power to successfully take on live-event corporations. As Governor, Tom will support this type of aggressive state-level antitrust enforcement. We will also use state law to crack down on market manipulation by ticketers.

And tenth, we must ease the day-to-day burdens that complicate operating stages. Tom will work with local municipalities to lower business license costs and establish strong protections for long-established performing spaces. Our venues must be able to operate freely without being priced or zoned out of their own neighborhoods.

We need art more than ever before to connect us, inspire us, and tell our shared stories. California’s identity on the global stage has always been defined by the boundless creativity of the artists, craftspeople, and technicians who call this state home, and we must treat them as the invaluable contributors to our state that they are.

Arts and culture are both California’s economic engine and its soul. But that soul cannot exist if the people creating it cannot afford to stay here. As governor, I will work to build a lasting cultural legacy for future generations and ensure that our creators can earn a dignified living making art right here in California.