Nevada
Push for two Nevada movie studio bills ramps up as debate continues
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Lawmakers and supporter of two bills for tax credits for movie studio campuses are ramping up their calls for approval, as both face further support and scrutiny amid the state’s projected shortfalls.
The clock is ticking until the end of the 2025 Legislative session.
Assembly Bill 238, backing the joint venture at Summerlin Studios between Warner. Bros. and Sony Pictures, remains in the Ways and Means Committee.
Senate Bill 220 –supported by Birtcher Nevada Development and the MBS Group at the Harry Reid Research & Technology Park–remains in the Finance Committee.
Both bills are expecting a hearing within days.
Supporters of each bill, and trade unions who support both, argue for a need for economic diversification and a rapid infusion of revenue streams amid slumping tourism and high unemployment, touting each legislation’s own benefits.
On Thursday, lawmakers were informed by the state’s Economic Forum of a $191 million shortfall over two budget cycles. Friday, lawmakers told FOX5 that the State Education Fund will also see a decrease of more than $150 million.
FOX5 spoke with Assemblymember Sandra Jauregui on A.B. 238, who argues that the bill is more crucial than ever for Nevada’s economy.
“We cannot afford to lose this opportunity. We cannot afford to not do this during a time when our economy is going to slow down, which means tourism is going to slow down, which means our revenue is going down as projected by the Economic Forum. This is the perfect time to bring a new economy, new revenue into our state,” Jauregui said, noting that tax credits do not kick in until 2028, or after a proposed movie studio campus is built and a filming project has wrapped up.
A.B. 238 proposes a $120 million tax credit package over 15 years for productions at Summerlin Studios. The bill mandates that half of the 15,000 annual workers would be Nevadans.
Proponents of S.B. 220 and the “Nevada Film Infrastructure, Workforce Development, Education and Economic Diversification Act” echo the need for economic diversity and also higher education support, as federal funding cuts threaten learning and training opportunities for young Nevadans.
S.B. 220 will provide around $100 million in tax credits for 15 years, with a three-year “ramp-up.” According to bill proponents, the project would generate around 9,000 jobs a year, and through the lifespan of the project, generate $80.5 billion in economic impact.
The Nevada State Education Association has strongly opposed the potential negative fiscal impact of both bills, arguing for lawmakers to prioritize critical funding that’s needed for Nevada schools.
“We have a looming federal budget crisis that could potentially cut hundreds of millions of dollars from our education programs, and for some reason Carson City is entertaining another Hollywood handout,” said Alexander Marks of the NSEA.
“We can’t afford giant tax credits to corporations…the biggest plot twist right now is that the state budgets’ education funding is only increasing by two dollars,” he said, urging lawmakers to pass the Commission on School Funding’s plan for education.
Other lawmakers have already voiced concerns.
“I believe Las Vegas and Nevada are great the way we are, we don’t need to try and be Hollywood 2.0 on the backs of the taxpayers,” said Senate Republican Leader Robin Titus, in a statement this year to FOX5.
Both bills argue a “net positive” effect: for every $1 of tax credits given, more than $1 will be returned in tax revenue and economic infusion.
Others debate the return on investment, or ROI: for every $1 given in tax credits, how much will the state get back in direct or indirect revenue?
Film productions generate direct revenue for the state from sales taxes and payroll taxes. Productions utilize and hire various other businesses in the community.
Some have expressed concerns over ROI.
“You’d be hard pressed to find an economist or an economic development professional who would say this is a great investment. Essentially, they are a negative balance on the general fund,” said Dr. David Damore of UNLV think-tank The Lincy Institute, urging scrutiny if Nevada lawmakers seek to utilize tax credits.
The 2025 legislative session was a topic of a panel at the Vegas Chamber “Preview Las Vegas” event in January.
Copyright 2025 KVVU. All rights reserved.
The Las Vegas Raiders have orchestrated many groundbreaking moves this offseason, but none as important as the impact they made at a fundraising event.
Over the weekend, the Raiders hosted the Silver & Black Gala, raising $2.5 million for mental health in Nevada. Sunday marked the third time the organization had hosted the event, which has produced a tremendous turnout.
Several individuals spoke during the event, including Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and president Sandra Douglass Morgan, who each highlighted the importance of acknowledging mental health.
Davis’ Thoughts
- “We’re here to raise money for mental health, which is one of the most important things we can all deal with,” Davis said. “Every one of us is impacted by mental health and our families, friends, or anywhere else, we are all directly affected. That’s why it’s so critical to raise money for our community. We’re grateful for you all, and appreciate you being here.”
Morgan’s Thoughts
“Mental health remains one of the most urgent issues across Nevada,” Morgan said. “Through the Silver & Black Gala, the Raiders Foundation is helping expand access to trusted, community-based resources that meet people where they are. This year’s recipients reflect the depth and complexity of that work, supporting our community in schools, clubhouses, homes, shelters, and family systems statewide.”
The Raiders also honored former player Carl Nassib and NFL broadcaster Jay Glazer on Sunday night as the winners of the Commitment to Excellence award. Here is what each of them had to say.
Glazer’s Thoughts
- “First, this is incredible what the Raiders are doing,” Glazer said. “God blessed me with the ability to communicate, so I’m going to use that to try and help other people. When we’re willing to share our scars, we turn them into strength—into something that connects us as teammates with nothing to hide. That’s what builds a true team, a championship team. I’m proud to stand with you and be part of this team tonight.”
Nassib’s Thoughts
- “It is truly a privilege to be up here,” Nassib said. “We’re creating space for people to be vulnerable—and that work is truly lifesaving. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing up and reminding people they’re not alone.”
Overall Thoughts
This has been a tremendous event over the last few years, and the Raiders’ organization has done a great job of raising awareness for mental health. This will be an event that the team will continue to host in the future.
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Nevada
Nevada workers fear homelessness as housing, jobs vanish before July deadline | Fox News Video
The final casino resort in Primm, Nevada, will close this summer after years of declining tourism, ending gaming operations in the once-busy border town and putting hundreds of employees out of work.
Primm Valley Casino Resorts is shutting down its remaining hotel and casino operations in July as experts point to increased competition, changing travel habits and post-pandemic losses behind the decline.
RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) is in a strong position heading into the thick of his 2026 reelection bid — a huge war chest, almost universal name recognition and strong favorability numbers among the electorate.
Though Lombardo is likely focusing on the general election already, he faces 6 longshot candidates in the GOP primary seeking to upset him in June.
Nevada Governor GOP primary: 6 longshot candidates taking on incumbent Joe Lombardo
The challengers face a ‘Herculean’ task, said Mike Noble, CEO and founder of Noble Predictive Insights, an Arizona-based nonpartisan pollster focusing on the Southwest region.
“I see it as a Herculean task for anyone. If someone was coming in with like, I don’t know $10 million or something to spend, sure I can see that might be competitive, but I don’t see any of them coming anywhere near close to that. And so again, I just think I think it’s a non-factor at this point,” Noble said.
RELATED | Ballot Battleground: Nevada podcast: Early Noble poll shows dead heat in governor’s race
Despite the long odds, News 4-Fox 11 reached out to all candidates requesting an interview as part of our commitment to 2026 election coverage and our Know Your Candidates series. Three of the 7 running interviewed with us — Irina Hansen, Kameron Hawkins, Lombardo and Jose Zelaya did not respond to multiple emails requesting an interview.
We asked them similar questions about Gov. Lombardo’s leadership as governor, how they would pass a balanced budget and whether they support taxpayer subsidies for sports teams or major projects.
Click the candidate’s name to watch their full interview. Quotes below have been edited for space and clarity.
Donald J. Beaudry Jr. is an entrepreneur who founded BlkEdgeAi, a financial technology firm specializing in AI-driven trading systems and market strategy, according to his campaign website.
He told News 4-Fox 11 that Nevada has been drifting the last four years with ‘no captain, no vision.’ He believes his Wall Street-like trading market called NGEX (Nevada Global Exchange) would generate enough revenue to eliminate sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes and vehicle registration fees.
“I completely blueprinted it out and calculated that this model could generate enough revenue in this state that we could eliminate all the state taxes and fees that are currently in place and use that as the revenue source for the state and make everybody, every man, woman and child throughout Nevada, a shareholder in the dividends of that exchange … it would be a kind of Wall Street type of stock market, but far broader, more advanced, and exponentially more profitable.”
Matthew Rian Winterhawk is the founder of SmartSlaps foundation, a nonprofit that works to help schools and students with civic engagement and community responsibility.
If elected, he described going through a DOGE-like review of the state budget to determine which areas can be cut or kept depending on their ‘dollar to impact’ ratio.
“What I would like to do is go through every department, I’m talking top to bottom, from here from the primary to the beginning. We will cut every piece of administrative bloat across the system … I need more money for my teachers. Teachers never see it, students never see it, the impact never reaches the classroom. It’s 100% administrative bloat.”
The son of immigrants, Barak Zilberberg is now an entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Las Vegas. He ran for governor in 2022, earning 0.2% of the vote in the GOP primary. He told News 4-Fox 11 he’s also running for President in 2028.
He said he’s running for governor to improve the educational system, bring jobs to Nevada and open up federal land to build more affordable housing.
“We’ve got get high-speed railing systems in here where we can transit very easily, efficiently, and basically moving around between economies of both cities. Not only that, I’d like to bring Disneyland here and the Olympics, sponsor the Olympics here. I just want to make this a well-known place of entertainment, a hub.”
To help voters make informed decisions this election year, News 4-Fox 11 is publishing and broadcasting dozens of interviews with candidates who will appear on the June primary ballot.
In fairness to all candidates, they were asked a series of similar questions. We are posting the full interviews online so voters can watch their responses in their entirety.
Visit our Know Your Candidates 2026 page to view other race previews and meet other candidates.
Email reporter Ben Margiott at bjmargiott@sbgtv.com. Follow @BenMargiott on X and Ben Margiott KRNV on Facebook.
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