Edwards meeting Hollywood execs to tout Louisiana tax breaks

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards will travel to California in a bid to promote Louisiana's film and TV tax break program to entertainment companies like Netflix and HBO.

The governor's office says Edwards, Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson and economic development officials leave Louisiana on Sunday and return Wednesday.

The delegation meets Monday with executives from Netflix, Warner Brothers, NBC Universal and Walt Disney Studios. Edwards' office says Tuesday meetings will be with representatives from HBO, Hulu, CBS and Sony.

Louisiana's film tax credit program has been debated for years in the state, both derided as a wasteful giveaway and championed as an economic driver.

Edwards says spending caps added to the program, along with incentives to encourage a homegrown industry, have provided opportunities for investment in Louisiana and job creation.

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