Music industry bill advances in Georgia Legislature

By a strong margin, the Georgia Senate has endorsed a tax incentive meant to grow the music business in the state.

“I bring you a great tax incentive. … This is a job creator,” said state Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, ahead of the 46-7 vote on a bill that grants tax credits for music and concert production in Georgia.

Mullis said the music tax credit is starting out small, but that the industry could grow, just as the film industry has done has since the passage of a tax credit.

He said the tax credit would help keep talented Georgians from moving to other states for music careers, and that producers would rent Georgia venues for practicing shows to take on the road.

But one of the critics, state Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, called the music tax credit a “subsidy” and said it would be better to lower taxes across the board instead of for a single industry.

The credits in House Bill 155 would increase in steps until a maximum of $15 million per year and would end in 2022.

The House has approved a similar version of the bill that would allow bigger tax credits for spending in counties with higher unemployment and poverty rates. If the two sides agree to the same proposal by the time the legislative session ends on Thursday, the proposal would go to Republican Gov. Nathan Deal for his review.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 4:03 PM with the headline "Music industry bill advances in Georgia Legislature."