-Less than 30 days left in this session, yet two similar bills are still alive.

They both look to dramatically increase Nevada's film tax credit program from $10 million a year to more than $1 billion over the next 15 to 18 years.

One key difference between them, though, is that Assembly Bill 238 has the backing of Warner Brothers Discovery and Sony Pictures.

The other, Senate Bill 220, does not.

That's Senator Roberta Lange's bill, who says her bill provides a lot more money for education and workforce development programs.

So Senator Lange, why should Nevada lawmakers choose your bill, SB 220, over the other bill, which has the support of Warner Brothers Discovery and Sony Pictures?

(Roberta Lange) Well, there are similarities.

I mean, we both are doing a film bill.

Their film bill is very similar to the bill I did two years ago, and the bill I did this year, we are doing $186 million for education.

They are doing $24 million for education.

That's a big difference.

And so I think when you look at that and you look at what you can do, I mean, we are doing an investment, and at the end of our our lease, our 100-year lease, our building is going to revert to the Harry Reid Tech Park for eternity.

The other thing that's different about my bill is we are, we are on public land.

And being on public land, we generate taxes and stuff for the state through my bill.

-That is a key difference, that it's on public land, well, owned by UNLV, correct?

-Correct.

-Okay.

Another key difference, I believe, is that you have said it yourself, this is not just a film bill.

What else in relation to what kind of programs are going to come out of this development should it happen?

-We have expanded to do the Creative Technology Institute, which will be jobs in aerospace, defense, medical research, and video game publishing.

All of that creates a bigger economic development and will bring more resources to our state.

-Wow.

Do you mind going a little bit more into the defense aspect?

What would that look like?

-Well, thank you for that question.

That could be anything from drones to technology.

We, I would hope, could work with Nellis and Creech on some of those things and be eligible, actually, to apply for defense grants into the research.

-All right.

I know you have said that your bill is similar to what the assembly side bill is.

Is it possible that you are going to be combining these bills, or what's more likely that just one will advance?

-I would say that their bill is similar to mine, because I had mine first, and I-- look, I am 100% in favor of trying to combine the bills and making one bill that's good for our state.

You know, the legislature is a body that compromises all the time, so why not compromise and figure out how we can do one bill and strong economic development for our state?

I know that the other side has said they don't think that will work, but, last session, we all came together for my bill, and I think we can do it again.

People need to sharpen their pencils and decide what their bottom line is, and you're not going to get everything you want.

I think one of the other things about my bill that's different is that on the tax credits that we would receive, our tax credits, the developer cannot buy them back.

They have to go to somebody else.

And we do that because we don't want the developer to have the tax credits.

They are responsible for the building and the infrastructure and all that, and they shouldn't go to them.

They should be able to be bought by other people.

And generally what happens in our state is the tax credits, the casinos buy the tax credits to lessen their-- they can buy them less than what their-- less than what they cost and be able to use that to offset their taxes.

-Got it.

Okay.

And prior to this session, your bill did have the support of Warner Brothers.

For our viewers who are wondering what happened there, what would you say?

-I would tell you that they had a different vision.

I stay in contact with them on a regular basis.

I just think their vision was a little bit different, and we didn't fit in with kind of what they wanted to-- how they wanted to proceed.

And so we've left, we've parted ways.

But that doesn't-- in the film industry, everybody works together.

So, for instance, I could give an example.

So MBS Studios is our studio partner.

They do productions from Marvel, Sony, Warner Brothers, Lucas Films, Paramount.

I mean, they're the largest global content manager in the nation-- in the world.

And so Warner Brothers and Sony use them.

So there is an opportunity that they could use our studios, too, along with where they are.

So I just think that, you know, it was a difference in vision, and I respect that.

And there-- I know that there will be opportunity in the future to work together.

-Could you point to what that difference in vision was?

-I don't know, to be honest with you.

You know, I didn't delve into that.

Just had conversation about, you know, I wish you wouldn't have left.

I really enjoyed working with you.

I think they bring a lot to the community, and but I believe that Manhattan Beach Studios, known as MBS, will be a great addition to our community and the workforce development, the education, and everything that we're trying to accomplish.

-MBS Group being the lead occupant of the studios that would be constructed.

-Yes.

-Have you had any talks with the assembly members who are the sponsors of the other bill about combining them at this point?

-I have.

I've had conversation with them.

They're just not, they're not at the point where they're willing to take that step.

I'm willing.

I'm ready.

I met with Sony, and Sony said, If you want to talk about that, just give us a call and we'll come.

We'll come to Carson City, and we'll sit down and talk with you about how we can come together on this.

So I think it's early.

I know there's only a month left in this session, but in legislative time, it's early.

And so, but I hope that those conversations will take place.

We've been told by the majority leader that only one bill will go forward.

It needs to be a combined bill, and so that has been my focus since I started this.

-Do you know why they do not want to proceed in combining the bills at this point?

-I don't know.

I don't know if it's financial.

You know, I really don't know.

They haven't, I mean, when I asked them, they just said, No, it's just not going to work.

-Not yet.

When would they have to?

When would these talks need to start happening?

Because there is just a month left.

-Yeah, in three weeks.

That's what I think.

In three weeks, that's-- look, the bill won't be heard until the end of the session anyway.

We have to close budgets.

As you know, there's a lot going on with the financial picture in our state, and so I think that it won't happen until we get a better idea of that financial picture.

And but I would say that we, we aren't asking for any money until 2028.

So in the next biennium for which this legislature is planning the budget, we don't affect the budget at all.

It will be after; it'll be in 2028.

-Okay.

Still, with the state's Economic Forum projecting a budget smaller than they had predicted earlier in the year, a decrease in state revenue over the next two fiscal years, how can you justify giving away tax credits, even if it isn't until 2028?

-What I would say to you, because I was asked this question just yesterday, and someone said, you know-- -Who asked you?

Was it a reporter or a lawmaker?

-A lawmaker.

-Okay.

-And I said, What better time to do this?

Here we are.

We had COVID.

We had a recession.

Each time, we relied on one industry in our state, which is gaming and mining, and we heavily rely on them.

Here we are again with another situation, a budget shortfall, and here we are again relying on one industry.

What better time to do some economic development?

I know the governor is interested in economic development.

What better time to do this is right now, because we have to get this in place so that we can fund education, so that we can fund healthcare, so that we can help with the budget shortfalls when we have them and have other opportunity.

-We did talk about the newest projections from the Economic Forum.

They were released last week.

What kind of impact have they had so far on the legislature?

-Well, I think everyone is trying to digest that because, you know, are we going to have a special session?

Are we going to be able to-- we have to be able to have a balanced budget, because that's what our Constitution requires.

And how do we do that?

What do we need to do that?

I know that the Finance Committee, the Joint Finance Committee, is working very hard.

People, departments have been bringing their budgets to them, asking for more people, and they've said no, and they've kept status quo.

Fortunately, we have a very large historical amount in our rainy day fund that I think, you know, it's for times like this, right?

And we also have the money in education when they redid the formula a few years back.

And so we have a rainy day fund in education that hopefully can help fill that hole as well.

But you never know what's going to happen from the federal government.

Every day they're cutting elements to-- that affect the state of Nevada.

And so I, I as a legislator, really appreciate my colleagues on Finance that are working so hard to make sure that we can meet the needs of Nevadans and have a balanced budget.

-Senator Roberta Lange, thank you so much for joining Nevada Week.