In response to a senator’s proposal to merge her film tax credit bill with their bill, Assms. Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) and Daniele Monroe-Moreno (D-North Las Vegas) said Friday that they are focused on passing their bill, which they said “stands on its own merits.”

“One of the most important aspects that matter to us is that we pass AB238 so that we generate revenue for the state this biennium and create jobs and careers for years to come,” they wrote. 

The statement came a day after the politically powerful Culinary Union came out in support of the Assembly measure, AB238, saying that the “bill is critical to diversifying our economy and creating good union jobs in Las Vegas.”

A lobbyist with intimate knowledge of the Assembly lawmakers’ proposal, who was not authorized to speak on the record about the negotiations, said there’s no appetite for a merger and developers are ready to start construction this year if AB238 is approved.

The proposed merger would have allowed for two studio sites, albeit with lower film tax credit allocations for each of them, and would have increased the total cost of the proposal to $2.2 billion. Proponents of Jauregui’s measure have raised concerns about the fiscal impacts of the merger's proposal on this biennium.

Jauregui and Monroe-Moreno’s proposal, which has the backing of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery, passed out of a key money committee last week. Sen. Roberta Lange’s (D-Las Vegas) proposal, SB220, supported by the studio brokerage firm MBSgroup, has not received a hearing in a finance committee with fewer than four days remaining in the session.

Neither bill has passed out of a legislative chamber and Gov. Joe Lombardo has not indicated whether he will sign or veto the legislation.

“We are proud of the diverse perspectives and stakeholders that have come together to build a comprehensive film and studio infrastructure bill in AB238,” Monroe-Moreno and Jauregui wrote.