This afternoon, Governor Inslee called the legislature into a second special session, immediately following the adjournment of the first. This means the negotiation of Washington’s 2-year operating budget will continue for another 30-day period, and pressure will be on elected officials to finalize the budget by June 30th in order to avoid a partial government shut down.
As before, the legislation to renew the Motion Picture Competitiveness Program (MPCP) is considered Necessary to the Implementation of the Budget (NTIB) and thus remains on the negotiating table and in play during this special session. Programs like the MPCP are often negotiated behind closed doors, sometimes in the last days of session, so it’s likely that our campaign will be going down to the wire.
Call to Action:
It is imperative during these 30 days that we keep the film bill in the Olympia conversation. 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 MPCP.
If you’ve spoken with your legislators in the past, please reach out again and keep the dialogue alive. During this next month, it is absolutely critical for the Keep Film in WA campaign that the film professionals of Washington State let their advocacy for the MPCP be heard in Olympia.