Hogan slams General Assembly For Diverting Local Arts Funding To Hollywood Millionaires

Annapolis, MD - April 7 - Gubernatorial candidate Larry Hogan today slammed the Maryland General Assembly for its plan to divert millions from a local arts fund to pay for the film tax credit.  

 

According to Hogan, “It is outrageous that Annapolis elites would loot the Special Fund for the Preservation of Cultural Arts and give it to Hollywood millionaires to produce subscriber-only TV shows.  As a supporter of Maryland arts and the husband of a local artist and art teacher, I know firsthand how important the Fund is to Maryland.  I am deeply troubled that politicians are putting out-of-state special interests ahead of Maryland’s art community,” Hogan said.  

 

At issue is the Maryland General Assembly’s decision to divert $2,500,000 from the Special Fund for the Preservation of Cultural Arts to fund an increase in the film tax credit.  The increase follows threats and high-pressure lobbying by Hollywood producers and an invite-only Annapolis cocktail party with Kevin Spacey for state legislators.  

A better approach to creating jobs and keeping existing employers, says Hogan, a business leader and former state cabinet secretary, is to bring Maryland’s tax rates in line with those of competing states.