Local incentives for film companies advance

Senators advanced a bill from general file March 5 that would include production film companies in the Local Option Municipal Economic Development Act (LOMED).

LOMED authorizes incorporated cities and villages to appropriate local sales and property tax dollars—if approved by local voters—for economic development purposes.

Under LB863, introduced by Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash, LOMED would include the production of films, commercials and television programs as businesses that qualify for the program.

Production companies spend thousands of dollars on local catering, lodging and labor costs while they are filming on location, Coash said, adding that many producers are interested in filming in Nebraska. The bill would provide incentives for film companies by allowing them to cater to and negotiate directly with the local communities, he said.

Neighboring states with similar topography have no incentive programs for film industries, Coash said, so the bill would put Nebraska at an economic advantage.

Coash introduced an amendment that would require film companies to acknowledge cities where a production was created as well as the State of Nebraska in a production’s credits, unless prohibited by local, state or federal law or regulation.

The amendment also would require film companies to provide notice of such projects to the Nebraska Film Office.

“This will help Nebraska continue to see a return on investment long after the completion of the film,” Coash said.

Omaha Sen. Brenda Council spoke in support of the bill, saying it would increase film production in the state. She referred to Omaha native and actor John Beasley, who she said expressed interest in producing a film in Nebraska about the NFL’s first African-American quarterback, Marlin Briscoe.

“I think we ignore the number of major people in the film industry who are natives of Nebraska and who are now involved … on the production side,” Council said.

The amendment was adopted 34-0 and the bill advanced from general file on a 33-0 vote.