On Friday, Governor Inslee announced what seemed to be inevitable – a special 30-day legislative session to continue the negotiations of the 2-year operating budget for the State of Washington (which officially opened today at 10am).
The end of regular session does not mean the end of the film bill. Our legislation is considered Necessary to the Implementation of the Budget (NTIB) and thus remains on the negotiating table and very much in play during the entirety of this special session.
The period of this special session is absolutely critical for the Keep Film in WA campaign, and during the coming weeks, the film professionals of Washington State must make sure their voices, stories, and advocacy for the film bill continue to be heard in Olympia.
Call to Action:
Please take this opportunity to write, email, call, (or even tweet at!) your legislators and ask them to ensure that the final budget includes an extension of the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program.
If you’ve spoken with your legislators in the past, don’t feel shy about reaching out again to touch base and keep the dialogue alive. We have a deeply dedicated, informed, and involved film community here in Washington, but elected officials in Olympia need to hear from you to make it count.