Newsom has asked Hollywood to cease filming in states that have conservative governments

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California called on Hollywood to “walk the walk” on liberal ideals by bringing back their film and television productions from areas like Georgia and Oklahoma, which he characterised as “conservative” on gun control, abortion rights, and civil rights.

In an ad in Variety, Mr. Newsom challenged the left-leaning creative sector in California to “take stock of your principles — and those of your workers while doing business in those states.”

Governor Brown backed a five-year, $1.65 billion extension of California’s film and television production tax credit programme on Wednesday, the first day of the Democratic state legislature’s spring session.

After signing an anti-illegal-gun measure into law last month, Obama used the occasion to slam Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for allowing Texans to sue abortion doctors.

US firms are under pressure due to the escalating culture wars, especially in places where Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court and women’s reproductive rights were severely restricted.

Abortion-access initiatives have been announced by some of the country’s largest corporations like the Walt Disney Company, Netflix, and Comcast, which owns NBC Universal. Hundreds of celebrities have also spoken out against Republican-led states’ legislation that restrict protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons.

There have been no big announcements from entertainment corporations about halting growth or relocating their headquarters. Sylvester Stallone stars in Taylor Sheridan’s new crime thriller “Tulsa King,” which is currently in Oklahoma shooting for Paramount+.

Kevin Stitt, the governor of Oklahoma, quipped in a statement on Wednesday that he was pleased to designate Gavin Newsom Oklahoma’s Economic Developer of the Year in 2021, and that he was pleased to see that he was making a run for two years in a row.

There has been no response from the Motion Picture Association, a trade body that represents major film companies and streaming service Netflix.

A contentious and costly standoff between Disney’s workers and the state of Florida has not deterred the company from expanding its business in the state.

State lawmakers and Governor Ron DeSantis removed Disney’s control over large expanses of property where Disney World and other business sites are situated after the firm, under pressure from its workers, challenged a Florida ban on L.G.B.T.Q.-related training. A proposal to relocate 2,000 high-profile positions from California to Florida has been postponed by Disney.

In the midst of that power battle, Newsom has been mocking DeSantis on Twitter and pushing Disney to reconsider its investments in Florida.

After a $105,000 ad ran in Florida last month slamming DeSantis and inviting businesses from Florida to relocate to California, Newsom launched a national ad campaign that has included newspaper ads in Texas attacking Abbott on abortion and a highly publicised trip to Washington, DC to discuss, among other things, gun legislation.

Mr. Newsom attacked not just two of California’s most aggressive competitors in film, television, and other content creation, but also two of the nation’s most conservative states on social matters, by extending his assaults to include Oklahoma and Georgia.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Oklahoma aggressively increased film production incentives. Since then, practically all abortions have been illegal. The state has also extended full legal status to foetuses, including one of the nation’s most lucrative incentive packages for film production.

Mr. Newsom pointed out that California’s abortion rights are among the most secure in the country.. As far as gun safety and civil freedoms for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons are concerned, the state has implemented some of the nation’s strictest legislation.

People who oppose it say it causes price competition and seldom keeps shows in the state long-term. According to a Legislative Analyst’s Office report from 2019, one-third of the projects that got subsidies would have been developed in California anyway.