Originally posted on the Florida Politics website

After being passed over for funding during the past couple of legislative sessions, members of the film, television and digital media community in Florida crossed their fingers long before the 2015 session started. They hoped this would be the year the state’s film tax incentive program would be replenished. It used up all of its funding a few years ago.

House Speaker Steve Crisafulli‘s decision to blow off the session with three days left to go last month killed numerous bills working their way through committee, possibly including the film incentives package.

Now the entertainment industry is calling on Crisafulli, Senate President Andy Gardiner and Gov. Rick Scott to include the incentives legislation when the House and Senate come back for Special Session next month.

“As we approach special session, we ask that you please consider including the film, TV and digital media investment program language from the Senate’s Economic Development Package (SB 1214) as part of the call for the special session,” writes an uncredited author with Film Florida, a state entertainment production association that has led the campaign for  tax incentives. “This language has addressed all of the concerns of both the House and Senate. To date, the program has received overwhelming support from all of the committees in both the House and Senate.”

Those bills are being sponsored by Venice Republican Nancy Detert in the Senate and  Winter Haven Republican Jeff Miller in the House.

Film Florida also is directing supporters of the legislation to sign a petition that calls for passage of the bill, something that nearly 1,000 Floridians have done to date.

Other than to agree on a state budget, there has been no agenda listed for the Special Session slated to start June 1.

But as Florida Politics reported the day that Crisafulli adjourned the House early, lobbyists for various film commissions across the state said they thought their issue could be discussed during the Special Session. The reason for optimism is that although the legislation had been winding its way through committees in both the House and Senate, no appropriations had been assigned to the package.

Click HERE to read the article on the Florida Politics website.