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Nevada Senate Kills Film Tax Credit Expansion, Derailing Summerlin Studios Plan

A cross-ideological backlash, fueled by deficit forecasts, ended the subsidy push as the special session wrapped.

Overview

  • The Senate vote was 10-8 with three absences, one short of the 11 needed, and no further vote was expected before the special session concluded.
  • AB 5 proposed up to $120 million a year in transferable credits for 15 years starting in 2029, with $95 million tied to the proposed Summerlin campus and $25 million for other productions.
  • Legislative fiscal staff projected budget shortfalls of roughly $100 million in FY2030 and $260 million in FY2031 if the program launched.
  • The Assembly approved the bill 22-20 after Speaker Steve Yeager allowed two Republicans to vote remotely under an 'exceptional circumstances' declaration, a move that drew criticism.
  • Backers including Howard Hughes Holdings, Sony and Warner Bros. touted tens of thousands of jobs and late additions such as pre-K funding and retiree health money, but an unusual coalition of progressives, public‑sector unions and fiscal conservatives opposed the measure; Gov. Joe Lombardo expressed disappointment as other session priorities, including a crime bill with amendments, advanced.