The Texas Legislature has approved a dramatic expansion of film industry subsidies, sending Senate Bill 22 to Governor Greg Abbott for his signature on May 29. The bill would dedicate $300 million annually to the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program through 2035, promising over $1.5 billion in subsidies over the next decade. Supporters say it’s a strategic investment in Texas jobs and culture. Critics, including many conservatives, call it corporate welfare for Hollywood.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a driving force behind the measure, praised the bill as a tool for both economic development and cultural influence. “We want to export Texas faith and family values to the rest of America and the world,” Patrick said on social media in April. He cited studies claiming a nearly 500 percent return on the state’s incentive package, arguing that the money supports everyday Texans—truck drivers, electricians, carpenters, and others—while keeping productions local.
The bill includes additional financial bonuses for productions that promote Texas heritage or depict family and faith-based themes. That provision helped attract support from some social conservatives, as did testimony from high-profile Texans like Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. McConaughey told lawmakers he would prefer to film in Texas if the state provided competitive incentives. Georgia and New Mexico, both of which offer more aggressive subsidy packages, have lured many productions away in recent years.
Sen. Joan Huffman, who carried the bill in the Senate, said the changes were necessary to keep Texas competitive in the national media economy. The bill passed the Senate 24–6 and the House 120–20, with bipartisan support.
But not all conservatives are on board. Critics argue the film subsidy program is a textbook example of corporate favoritism. “Texas taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize Hollywood,” wrote Carine Martinez, in a 2019 report for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Martinez and co-author Jess Gehlhausen wrote that film incentives around the country have repeatedly failed to deliver on promises of lasting economic growth.
Rep. David Lowe, a freshman Republican from North Texas, took to social media to oppose the bill. “This bill provides taxpayer-funded incentives to the film and entertainment industry—the same industry that vilified our Christian faith at every opportunity,” Lowe wrote. Jeramy Kitchen, executive director of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, echoed the concern: “Don’t Hollywood my Texas,” he posted on X.
Rep. Brian Harrison voted against the measure and issued a statement calling it “a ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars that prioritizes woke Hollywood elites over everyday Texans.” Harrison and others objected that the bill subsidizes a politically left-leaning industry, despite language in the legislation that disqualifies sexually explicit content or projects that portray Texas in a negative light.
While backers of SB 22 argue that the incentives are strictly performance-based—only paid after filming and spending occur in-state—opponents say the principle remains the same. “It is not the role of government to pick winners and losers in the market,” said economist Vance Ginn, a former policy director for Gov. Abbott. “This is cronyism dressed up as economic development.”
Proponents of the bill contend that the program is targeted and fiscally responsible. Funds can only be used for production expenses incurred in Texas, and there are detailed eligibility criteria. Film industry advocates claim the return on investment is well-documented, pointing to state-commissioned audits and studies by third parties. Productions like “The Chosen,” a faith-based series filmed in Midlothian, have been cited as examples of the kind of content Texas can attract with the right incentives.
Still, the growing size of the program has raised eyebrows. The current budget commits more than 30 times what was appropriated to the incentive fund just two years ago. Whether the new spending delivers lasting economic and cultural benefits remains to be seen.
Governor Abbott has not indicated whether he will sign SB 22, but he has generally supported economic development incentives in the past. If he does, the expanded film program will go into effect on September 1, 2025.
