Raman Campaign Calls Bass's Film Tax Credit Ad a 'Whopper'

Nithya Raman's campaign has called a new TV ad from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass a "whopper" over who deserves credit for a state film tax break. Raman and Bass are the two candidates in the November mayoral election.

In the ad, Bass says: "With the film industry struggling, I cut fees and expanded film and TV tax credits… saving thousands of Hollywood jobs." Variety reported that the Raman campaign disputes that claim.

Raman spokesperson Liz Garcia said Bass was falsely taking credit for film tax credit legislation approved in Sacramento, the state capital. The bill that expanded the state incentive was written by state lawmaker Rick Chavez Zbur, who is supporting Bass for re-election. Governor Gavin Newsom led the push to double California's film incentive to $750 million last year.

A tax credit lets a production subtract part of its state tax bill, so the rules shape where studios decide to shoot. Under the expanded program, California offers a 35% to 50% credit on qualified post-production costs, meaning work done after filming, such as editing and sound. ABC7 reported that both Bass and Raman praised Newsom's signing of the expansion.

The state said in July that 41 new film projects had been selected for the credit in the first year of the expanded program. It projected that the year would bring $6.6 billion in economic impact. California's governor's office published those figures.

Bass has made the issue a campaign theme. In an August video, she said: "More tax credits. Less fees. Streamlined Permitting." On May 1, she said she supported uncapped tax credits, meaning no ceiling on the total. Raman had already pushed for unlimited state tax credits in an April plan for Hollywood. Bass has also said she created the first tax credit in Sacramento and helped expand it as mayor, according to a post on her X account.

Labour is split along familiar lines. The Writers Guild of America West has endorsed Raman. IATSE, the Hollywood Teamsters, American Federation of Musicians Local 47 and Laborers Local 300 support Bass.

The dispute is over credit, not over whether the incentive exists. Both candidates have praised the expansion. What they disagree on is which of them did the most to make it happen, and that is the question the campaign is now fighting over on television.