CARSON CITY, Nev. (KTNV) — Carson City is not usually a place where you will see major Hollywood movie stars, but that's exactly what happened Wednesday at the state legislature.
Actor and Las Vegas resident, Mark Wahlberg was there to lobby for a film industry bill.
Some state lawmakers want to offer big tax breaks for companies interested in producing movies and TV shows in the Las Vegas valley.
The bill would offer as much as $190 million in film tax credits over twenty years. Two large production campuses would be built by private companies. One would be a Sony movie studio in Summerlin and the other referred to as "Zone One" would be located near Durango and the 215 beltway.
Supporters say the move would help diversify Southern Nevada's tourism-reliant economy.
Brandon Birtcher is a California real estate developer whose company would build the "Zone One" campus. He says Disney could also be involved in production projects here in Nevada.
"Sony and Disney are just the tip of the iceberg," he said. "Zone One has been very quiet about its studio partners for good reason. But I can tell you that, as of today, we have been in very active negotiations with many studio production companies."
The bill was heard Wednesday before the Senate Finance Committee. It would need to be voted on in the full Senate and the State Assembly before going to Governor Lombardo's desk for a possible signature.
