2005 - AN EXCITING POLITICAL YEAR FOR ARIZONA FILM PRODUCTION
• SB1347 was signed into law by Governor Napolitano on Friday, May 20th. Congratulations to all involved. Thank you to everyone for supporting AFMC and it's efforts. Special thanks to our lobbyist, BRENDA BURNS for her perseverance; SENATOR TONI HELLON for her belief in our cause and our industry; and lastly, GOVERNOR NAPOLITANO for signing our bill.
To quote Senator Toni Hellon, "This just does not happen in one year. It can take two to three years to get a comprehensive package through the legislature. You should be very proud of what you have accomplished."
It has been an exciting year for film production in the political process.
Press Conference at the State Capitol. On February 15, Senator Toni Hellon, actor/producer Rick Schroder, actor Hunter Gomez, producer/director Mike Kucharo, and President of the Arizona Film and Media Coalition Mike McGinn introduced SB1346 and SB1347 to the public. To view pictures from the event by Bill Green, click on the link above.
SB1346 Motion Picture Production; Tax credit was introduced into the Senate by Senators; Toni Hellon, Bee, Blendu, Giffords, Leff, Martin, Allen, Arzberger, Hale, Mitchell, Tibshraeny, and Waring and Representaives; J Burns, L. Lopez, McClure, Burton Cahill, Hershberger, Huffman and Prezelski.
SB1347 Motion Picture Production; Tax Incentives was introduced into the Senate by Senators; Toni Hellon, Bee, Blendu, Giffords, Leff, Martin, Allen, Arzberger, Hale, Mitchell, Tibshraeny and Waring and Representatives; Hershberger, Huffman, Preselski, Bradley, J. Burns, Burton Cahill and L. Lopez.
You can track the progress of these Bills through the legislative process by using the link to ALIS below.
To coincide with the introduction of these Bills, the Arizona Entertainment Alliance and AFTRA sponsored Film Arizona - Day at the Capitol. On February 3, 22 organizations representing tens of thousands of registered voters in the film production business set up tables and talked with our elected state officials about each of their pieces of the film production pie. To view pictures from the event by Bill Green and Tim Hickman, click on the link above.
The Arizona Department of Commerce commissioned ESI Corporation to do a study last year that was released to the public recently titled, “Analysis of the Film and Video Industry in Arizona.” To download the complete study, visit the Arizona Department of Commerce site.
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has revived the Film and Television Advisory Board and packed it with powerhouse names such as actor Leslie Nielsen, retired journalist and TV anchor Hugh Downs and actor/producer Rick Schroder to name a few. To download the complete list of 31 participants, click here. You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader to view and print. If you don’t already have it, you can download it for free at www.adobe.com.
The Arizona Film and Media Coalition (AFMC) is comprised of individuals, businesses and organizations within the entertainment industry. Its mission is to enhance the economic vitality of the Arizona film and media communities through public relations, education and legislation. The AFMC has introduced two bills into the Arizona Senate, SB1346 and SB1347. If passed, this legislation will lure more outside film producers to our market. They are currently seeking donations to help cover the costs of their lobbying efforts. For information on donating, click here. You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader to view and print. If you don’t already have it, you can download it for free at www.adobe.com.
POLITICAL ACTION RESOURCES
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano Arizona State Legislature Contacts Arizona State Legislature Find a bill in the legislative process ALIS (9-digit Zip Code look-up) US Postal Service Find my Elected Officials Project Vote Smart Find my US Representative United States House of Representatives Find my US Senators United States Senate Glendale Elected Officials City of Glendale Mesa Elected Officials City of Mesa Phoenix Elected Officials City of Phoenix Register To Vote Online Secretary of State Sample letter to the Mayor of Phoenix Phil Gordon Tempe Elected Officials City of Tempe Tucson Elected Officials City of Tucson US Executive Branch The White House LETTER WRITING TIPS
In our democratic society, we elect officials such as mayors and city council members on a city level; governors, state senators and representatives on the state level and presidents, senators and representatives on the national level to represent our interests, make our laws, and maintain law and order.
There are many ways of telling our politicians how we feel, ranging from protesting to calling their offices with complaints or writing letters. Elected officials are concerned about what people think because they may be voted out of office at the next election if enough people disapprove of their performance.
Expressing Your Views to Government Film Industry Decision Makers
It may seem like a small gesture, but writing a letter to an elected official or key decision-maker is one of the most effective ways of communicating the public view. While a quick, informal e-mail may seem easy, a single handwritten letter (if your writing is legible - otherwise, type it) will have much more impact.Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when preparing your letter:
Composing your letter
1. Prepare your letter in a way that reflects the importance of the issue and your message.
2. In the first paragraph, introduce yourself and state the reason you are writing, and why it is personally relevant to you and your community. Keep the first paragraph to three sentences, at most.
3. In the next two paragraphs, provide specific details about the issue, why it’s important to you and your community, and what action you would like to see taken to resolve the issue. Try to offer a reasonable solution to the problem.
4. Keep the letter to one page but still allow yourself to make the points that you think are most important to you and your community.
5. If you have more than one issue, send more than one letter, keep each letter focused to one issue if at all possible.
6. Close the letter by restating the action you would like to see taken and when, and thank them “in advance” for taking the action you recommend.
General Tips on Letter Writing
1. Be respectful, but make your points clearly and very firmly.2. Prepare your correspondence in a way that does not threaten the security of your elected representative, staff or anyone related to him or her.
3. Do not rant or be abusive.
4. Be sure to spell the person's name correctly.
5. Always remember to sign your letter. Below your signature, provide your full occupational title/position and your residential, street address, not a post office box. This is important, since politicians need to know that you live in their district or city. Also include your zip code. Make sure you put your return mailing address on the envelope as well.
6. Send letters to your elected officials whether you voted for them or not, whether you are registered to vote or not (although you should register to vote prior to writing your letter).
Please send APA copies of any responses you receive from our elected officials, for monitoring purposes only, white-out or cover your personal information.
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