What happened in this Culture story?

In a Deadline interview ahead of Wednesday's CNN gubernatorial debate, California Republican candidate Steve Hilton predicted a federal film and TV tax credit is unlikely to pass Congress this year, while outlining his own state-level plan to save California's entertainment industry and dismissing AG Rob Bonta's antitrust suit against Paramount as politically motivated.

What is a key fact in this story? (1)

**Steve Hilton** said a bipartisan federal film and TV tax credit is unlikely to pass Congress by year's end, blaming the legislative calendar and the reluctance of members from districts with "zero connection with the entertainment industry" to spend political capital on it.

What is a key fact in this story? (2)

**Hilton** has coordinated the federal push with Jon Voight, Steven Paul, and Spencer Pratt, but said California must "save ourselves" through its own package — including uncapping the state's existing $750 million film credit.

Steve Hilton: Federal Film Tax Credit Unlikely This Year — SkimNews

By Deadline · Summarized & edited by Kapil Samant · 2026-09-30

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Steve Hilton said a bipartisan federal film and TV tax credit is unlikely to pass Congress by year's end, blaming the legislative calendar and the reluctance of members from districts with "zero connection with the entertainment industry" to spend political capital on it.
Hilton has coordinated the federal push with Jon Voight, Steven Paul, and Spencer Pratt, but said California must "save ourselves" through its own package — including uncapping the state's existing $750 million film credit.
Hilton named entertainment and agriculture as California's two "collapsing" industries needing emergency help, blaming the state's hostile business climate — litigation, energy costs, taxes and regulation — for driving business away.
On competing with UK, Canada, Hungary, and New Jersey incentives, Hilton argued California has an inherent advantage because "people actually want to be here," saying the state only needs to "match the best" to win productions.
On the $111 billion ParaBros merger, Hilton called it a "long-term growth story" but said he has deliberately stayed quiet because the deal has been "politicized too much" to weigh in on.
Hilton dismissed California AG Rob Bonta's July antitrust suit against Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery as "entirely political driven," a proxy for Bonta's "I sued the Trump administration" brand rather than substantive antitrust concerns.
Hilton said he wasn't surprised the case "collapsed" after leaked threats that Paramount would leave Los Angeles, noting a Biden-appointed Oakland judge has not yet signed off on the settlement and Sen. Cory Booker has intervened.

Why it matters: If Hilton is right, California entertainment relief will have to come from Sacramento — making his promise to uncap the $750 million state credit the central film-industry policy fight of the race against Democrat Xavier Becerra. His characterization of Bonta's antitrust suit as politically driven also signals how he'd pressure the AG from the governor's office.