Nebraska

Actors, producers and screenwriters testify for bill to lure film productions to Nebraska • Source New Mexico

Published

2 months ago

March 6, 2024

Actors, producers and screenwriters testify for bill to lure film productions to Nebraska • Source New Mexico

LINCOLN — Nebraska could become the next “Y’allywood” with the right tax incentives for film and television production, a committee of state legislators was told Wednesday.

Travis Beck, a film location scout who grew up in Lincoln, said $70 million was recently spent in Montana to film a season of the television show, “Yellowstone.”

“We could have filmed that here,” Beck said, if Nebraska had provided financial help for film crews.

State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue asks a question regarding nuclear energy during a hearing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Lincoln. (Photo by Zach Wendling / Nebraska Examiner)

Under Legislative Bill 1022, the Cast and Crew Nebraska Act, that could happen. It would provide a production company with refundable income tax credits of 20%. The total credits would be capped at $25 million a year.

State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, who introduced the bill, said that Nebraska is currently at the bottom of states that provide film incentives, and that such incentives could help keep young people from leaving the state to pursue careers in the movie industry.

‘Y’allywood’ is Hollywood in Georgia

“Y’allywood” refers to Georgia, a state that Sanders said was the “model” for what movie-making incentives can accomplish.

The Peach State has gone all-in to lure Hollywood productions, providing a record $1.3 billion in incentives in 2022, the most of any state.

An audit reported that nearly 35,000 jobs a year are created in Georgia, but it also said the incentives return just 19 cents in benefits to Georgia for every $1 spent, according to Variety.

That report didn’t come up during a public hearing before the Legislature’s Revenue Committee.

Sanders, after the hearing, said each state measures the benefits of its programs differently.

In New Mexico, the senator said, the return on investment from tax credits for films was $7.77 for every $1, with the incentives supporting 8,000 jobs and providing direct and indirect economic impacts of $3.8 billion over the past three fiscal years.

In addition, the Oklahoma film industry brought an estimated $200 million in direct economic impact in fiscal years 2020 and 2021, according to the Tulsa World, and helped provide about 15,000 jobs.

Prefer to stay here

A crew of actors, producers and writers who grew up in Nebraska testified in favor of the proposal, saying they would have preferred to stay in the state to pursue their dreams.

Katy Bodenhamer. (Photo by Paul Hammel / Nebraska Examiner)

Katy Bodenhamer, an actor who has appeared in “The Office” and Mel Gibson’s latest movie, “Desperation Road,” said she moved back to her hometown of Hershey after living 13 years in Hollywood, although she still flies back to California for roles.

She said that many in the movie business want to move away permanently, for better living conditions. She said the proposed incentives would help her, and young college graduates, to stay in Nebraska.

Maher Jafari, a writer, producer and director who grew up in Omaha, said states that don’t provide tax incentives are “off the board” when projects decide where to shoot films and television shows.

Jafari and others said the time is right to provide incentives for moviemaking because the movie industry is “decentralizing” and seeking to tell stories that aren’t based on either coast.

Even Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson testified in favor of the bill, saying the film industry provides many jobs for skilled trades, including electricians and carpenters, good-paying jobs that help lift people out of poverty.

The Revenue Committee took no action on LB 1022 after the hearing.

Nebraska has, in recent years, provided direct grants for a couple of film projects.

A movie about Standing Bear, the Ponca chief whose legal battle in 1879 led to recognition of Native Americans as “human beings” under the law, got a $5 million grant.

The state also granted $5 million to a Dallas-based production company to create a documentary highlighting the history and mission of the U.S. Strategic Command.

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Nebraska

Creighton sweeps season series over Nebraska

Published

3 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Press Room

Creighton sweeps season series over Nebraska

An early deficit doomed Nebraska baseball Tuesday night in Omaha.

The Huskers dropped their third game to Creighton in the month of April, this one 9-5. The last time the Bluejays beat NU three times in a month was March of 1993.

Nebraska is now 27-15 and has lost five straight non-conference games. Creighton is 31-11.

The first inning doomed Big Red, as Creighton’s leadoff man Nolan Sailors hit a home run. That would be the only earned running allowed in the inning, though five more runs did score.

NU strung together nine hits on the day but left 10 on base. Josh Caron posted the only multi-hit day for the Huskers, going 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Nebraska returns home Wednesday to host Kansas State.

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Nebraska

Early miscues doom Nebraska baseball team

Published

11 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Press Room

Early miscues doom Nebraska baseball team

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Athletics) – A dropped flyball and a misplayed pop-up led to five unearned runs in the first inning, as the Huskers fell 9-5 at Creighton on Tuesday night at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.

Nebraska (27-15) totaled five runs on nine hits with an error, while Creighton (31-11) tallied nine runs on 13 hits.

Josh Caron finished 2-for-4 with a double and RBI, while Cody Bradford and Rhett Stokes each launched solo home runs. Riley Silva and Joshua Overbeek both tallied hits, while Cole Evans drove in the other Husker run.

Ty Horn made his fourth start of the season, lasting just 0.2 innings and surrendering six runs, one earned, on six hits. Caleb Clark tossed three scoreless innings, retiring nine of 11 batters faced with a trio of strikeouts. Drew Christo hurled a shutout inning, while Jalen Worthley and Kyle Froehlich combined to allow three earned runs. Casey Daiss punched out both his batters faced.

Nebraska struck first after Silva sent a one-out double to left field and advanced to third on a groundout from Tyler Stone. In the cleanup spot, Caron drove in Silva on a two-bagger to centerfield to put the Huskers up 1-0 and give the backstop his 45th RBI of the season.

The Bluejays answered with six runs in the bottom of the first inning, beginning with a solo home run from Nolan Sailors. Following a fielding error in left, Creighton rattled off five straight hits, including a double and triple, to grab a 6-1 advantage.

After recording the final out in the first frame, Clark entered and tossed a scoreless second and third inning to keep Creighton off the board.

NU’s offense broke through with a pair of solo bombs in the fourth frame, as Bradford began with a long ball to centerfield, before Stokes followed his lead with a homer to left field, cutting the deficit to 6-3.

Olsen and Christo combined to blank Creighton across the fourth and fifth innings, but the Bluejays struck for a pair of runs in the sixth frame off Worthley. A Sailors single set up a two-run blast from Ty Deters to extend the CU lead to 8-3.

In the seventh inning, Overbeek began the inning with a single and moved into scoring position after Silva’s groundout. The groundout paved the way for an RBI single from Stone to bring the Huskers within four.

Caron continued NU’s momentum on offense with a single to put runners on first and second base, before Evans’ single through the left side plated Stone and trimmed the lead to 8-5.

Creighton continued to respond, adding a run back in the seventh inning with a Matt Scherrman home run off Froehlich to push their advantage back to four runs.

NU got two runners on in the ninth inning, but was unable to capitalize as the Bluejays clinched a four-run victory over the Huskers.

Nebraska returns home for a midweek matchup against Kansas State tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park. Wednesday’s matchup can be seen on BTN+, while fans can listen to Dave Gustafson and Ben McLaughlin call the action on the Huskers Radio Network.

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