HB1005, a fiscal-policy measure titled Tax Incentive for Film Festivals, that created a new refundable state tax-credit program to support the film-festival industry in Colorado. The law offers up to $34 million in tax credits over about a decade to a large, long-running film festival that relocates to Colorado (e.g., one with a multi-decade history and at least 100,000 attendees, including significant out-of-state/international visitors). It also sets aside up to $5 million in tax credits for smaller or existing Colorado film festivals.
The Colorado State House of Representatives passed HB1005 on March 13, 2025 by a vote of 43 to 17. We have assigned pluses to the nays because government has no legitimate authority to prop up private industries through selective tax breaks. Government involvement in incentivizing the film industry distorts the economy, wastes taxpayer dollars, and invites the influence of Hollywood-style culture that contradicts traditional American principles. Rather than relying on private enterprise and market demand, this law empowers bureaucrats to pick winners and losers, undermining economic freedom and opening the door to immoral and anti-American cultural shifts.
