A Texas lawmaker announced this week that following sexual assault allegations in Hollywood, he would push to eliminate the Texas Film Commission.
Representative Matt Shaheen posted on Facebook his goal to file legislation to cut the film tax credit program.
“Over the past week, our nation has grown increasingly alarmed over allegations of rampant sexual abuse by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and others in the motion picture and TV industry,” Shaheen said in a news release. “What is just as troubling is an apparent culture of acceptance and coverup by many in Hollywood. This is profoundly hypocritical given these are the people who constantly lecture the American people on how we should live our lives.”
The Texas Film Commission offers incentives to film and video game companies that bring productions to Texas. Other states that have similar programs including Louisiana, Georgia, and New Mexico.
That said, it is important to point out that Shaheen has been trying to get rid of the Texas Film Commission for a while. The Republican-led the House effort to move money going to the film industry to the Texas Healthy Women program. He has also filed legislation to eliminate the film incentives program in 2015.
“I’m going to redouble my efforts,” Shaheen said. “I shouldn’t take tax dollars from the single mom trying to make ends meet and provide a future for her child, and give it to an industry that demeans women sexually.”
However, other Republican senators are also focused on getting rid of the film incentives program. Republican senators Konni Burton of Colleyville and Bob Hall of Edgewood have both proposed bills that would end funding for film incentives.
The Republican representative added in his Facebook post that Weinstein’s sexual assault allegations discredited the “Hollywood elite” from giving opinions on state issues.
“Whether we’re debating pro-life, saving babies, women’s privacy — you have Hollywood actors weighing in with their opinions,” Shaheen said. “They’re coming from a culture that demeans women. … None of those people are qualified to speak on issues that affect Texans.”
According to Digital Chew, Game of Thrones star Lena Headey revealed on Tuesday that she had her own harrowing experience with Harvey Weinstein in an elevator during the Venice Film Festival in 2005. When she declined his advances, he warned her to keep quiet. Also, Channing Tatum has cut ties with the producer.
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