Voted to Bring Hollywood to Texas on Taxpayers' Dime: House of Bad Cards

"SB 22 creates a $500 million* off-budget slush fund to bankroll the Texas film & multimedia industry - managed by the Governor's Office, with zero legislative appropriation needed to spend it. That's $1.5 BILLION over the next 6 years. With. No. Guardrails. This isn't just corporate welfare. It's politically conditioned welfare." - Jeramy Kitchen, President, Texas Policy Research

[*Note: $300 million per biennium, in an amendment on 3rd reading.]

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has heavily promoted SB 22.

Here's the final vote to passage in the Texas Senate. We commend the Senators who voted "no." As you can see, the majority of Republican Senators readily joined with Democrats to take this money from you to spend on Hollywood.

20250416_SB22_3R: Yea 23 (R 14, D 9) - Nay 8 (R 6, D 2)

Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Flores; Hagenbuch; Hancock; Huffman; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Menendez; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Schwertner; Sparks; West; Zaffirini

Nay - Creighton; Eckhardt; Gutierrez; Hall; Hughes; Kolkhorst; Middleton; Perry

When Republican lawmakers (along with the Governor and Lt. Governor) throw taxpayer money at movie producers, they're spending funds that should have gone toward tax cuts or pay-as-you go for road improvements instead of debt. That would be putting Texans first. Whatever "return" they tell you this might bring to Texas, the widow living in rural Texas will receive none of that return. Nor will 99% of Texas taxpayers. This ridiculous expense of your money doesn't benefit anyone but a few.

When you see these Republicans boasting how conservative they are, ask them to justify taking money from working families to give it to Big Hollywood. No lawmaker wants to answer that question.

Ask anyway.

GOP Platform Conflict: Plank 78 opposes industry-specific subsidies, favoring free markets. Corporate welfare contradicts limited government.

RV#3545: Yea 114 (R 55, D 59) - Nay 26 (R 26, D 0)
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Yea - Allen; Anchia; Ashby; Barry; Bell, C.; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Bryant; Buckley; Bucy; Bumgarner; Button; Campos; Canales; Capriglione; Cole; Collier; Cook; Cortez; Craddick; Cunningham; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; DeAyala; Dorazio; Dutton; Dyson; Fairly; Flores; Frank; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Garcia, J.; Garcia, L.; Gates; Geren; Gervin-Hawkins; Gonzalez, J.; Gonzalez, M.; Goodwin; Guillen; Harless; Harris; Harris Davila; Hernandez; Hinojosa; Howard; Hull; Hunter; Johnson; Jones, J.; Jones, V.; King; Kitzman; LaHood; Lalani; Lambert; Landgraf; Leach; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Lopez, R.; Lujan; Luther; Manuel; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; McLaughlin; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Meza; Moody; Morales Shaw; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Munoz; Noble; Ordaz; Orr; Patterson; Paul; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Phelan; Plesa; Raymond; Reynolds; Romero; Rose; Rosenthal; Schatzline; Schofield; Simmons; Smithee; Spiller; Talarico; Tepper; Thompson; Turner; VanDeaver; Villalobos; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wharton; Wilson; Wu; Zweiner

Nay - Alders; Gerdes; Harrison; Hayes; Hefner; Hickland; Holt; Hopper; Isaac; Kerwin; Little; Lowe; Lozano; Money; Olcott; Oliverson; Richardson; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Shofner; Slawson; Swanson; Tinderholt; Toth; Troxclair; Virdell

Absent - Cain; Guerra; Louderback; Morgan; Pierson; Rodriguez Ramos

Present, Not Voting - Burrows; Vasut

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded.

AJ Louderback: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, I was temporarily out of the house chamber. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Cody Vasut: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, I was presiding in the chair and was shown voting present, not voting. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Gary Gates: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Jay Dean: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Katrina Pierson: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, my vote failed to register. I would have voted no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Matt Morgan: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, my vote failed to register. I would have voted no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

R. D. Guerra: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Ryan Guillen: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Shelley Luther: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Terri Leo Wilson: "When Record No. 3545 was taken, I was excused because of important business. I would have voted no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)