The Hollywood Handout: Nevada’s Zombie Bill that Just Won’t Stay Dead

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New Bill Draft Brings the $1.8 Billion Film Tax Giveaway Back From the Grave.

If you've ever seen a Halloween movie, you know the drill.

Michael Myers gets shot, stabbed, thrown out a window, maybe even lit on fire. Everybody breathes a sigh of relief. The nightmare's over.

Then he sits up!

Well, that's exactly what just happened in Carson City.

A new Bill Draft Request, known as a BDR, was filed on July 14, 2026. It's numbered BDR 32-135.

The title is “Office of Economic Development in the Office of the Governor.” The description says it plainly. It revises provisions relating to transferable tax credits for film and other productions.

In plain English, somebody just opened the closet door in Carson City. And the Hollywood Handout was standing right there, waiting.

You might remember the fight from the 2025 special session.

Lawmakers pushed through a massive tax credit package for out-of-state film and television studios. The price tag ran as high as $1.8 billion.

Supporters called it an economic development win. I called it exactly what it looked like. A giveaway to Hollywood studios, paid for by your tax dollars.

We thought we'd killed it. Turns out this thing has more lives than Dracula.

And just like in the movies, it's coming back for a body count. Except this time, the bodies are your wallets.

Here's what supporters won't tell you: Nevada doesn't need a $1.8 billion giveaway to grow its film industry.

A new industry report ranks Nevada 5th in the nation for film job growth. We added roughly 400 film jobs from 2024 to 2025. That's over 10 percent growth. We did that without anything close to the Hollywood Handout on the books.

Meanwhile, California has poured billions into film subsidies for years. It's still the biggest film job market in the country.

But California lost nearly 13,000 film jobs last year alone. A double-digit decline. If massive subsidies were the answer, California wouldn't be bleeding jobs.

The lesson is simple. Nevada is already competing and winning without writing Hollywood a blank check.

Voters in our district have extra reason to care about this fight.

Senate District 8 is where the proposed studio project would actually be built. That means years of construction traffic in our neighborhoods. That means dealing with the daily headaches of a massive production facility in our backyard.

All so out-of-state film companies can collect a tax break Nevada may not even need.

The bill died in 2025. But a BDR filed for the 2027 session means someone wants another shot at it.

My opponent, Marilyn Dondero Loop, was one of the Hollywood Handout's biggest supporters in the legislature.

She voted for it during the 2025 special session and she currently serves as Senate President Pro Tempore, the second most powerful Democrat in the Nevada Senate.

If she wins reelection, she'll be right back in Carson City as one of the biggest legislative cheerleaders for this new push.

You have a choice this November. Every horror movie has one character who runs upstairs instead of out the front door. Don't be that character.

There's a way out of this one, and it's on your ballot.

I opposed the Hollywood Handout from day one. Not after it was safe. Not after the polling came back.

I organized a letter signed by 2,700 of my neighbors opposing the deal while it was still popular in Carson City. I didn't wait in the dark for somebody else to turn on the lights. I spoke up when it counted.

I'm running for the Senate District 8 seat now held by Dondero Loop. If you elect me, I'll be standing in front of that closet door every single time this monster tries to climb back out.

Our film industry is already growing on its own, without a $1.8 billion giveaway. It doesn't need a mask and a knife to get the job done. It's doing fine in broad daylight.

The 2027 legislative session hasn't started yet. But this fight already has.

I'll be a no vote in Carson City. Not a champion for more corporate giveaways. Not the guy who leaves the door unlocked.

I've already proven where I stand. My opponent has already proven where she stands. The only question is where you stand. And you’ll get to make that decision in November.

Every slasher franchise needs somebody who finally stops running, turns around, and stands up to the menace. In Senate District 8, that's me.

The sequel is coming. And like in Hollywood, you can bet it’ll be even worse than the original.

The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology may have been used in the research, writing, or production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.