(By Brandon Hansen/Chewelah Independent)

Wulczynski encourages lawmkers to renew tax incentives for filmmakers…

Chewelah resident, PACA member and Wellpinit teacher Joe Wulczynski spoke to Washington State Legislators on March 13 in Olympia, vouching for the incentives that have brought several filmmakers to the Spokane area. The bill is reaching its sunset and no renewal bill has been put in its place.

“The incentive draws filmmakers to our area and is about to go away,” Wulcynski said. “It’s what brough Z Nation here. There were hundreds of filmmakers. I joined cast and crew of Z Nation and we talked to Rep. Joel Kretz, Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber and Senator Shelly Short’s legislative assistant about the impact to the economy that the film industry brings.”

Z Nation is a post-apocalyptic comedy-drama that airs on Syfy and is filmed in Spokane that premiered in 2014. It also has benefited from a 10-year-old incentive package of tax breaks and return for cash contributions to the program, reports the Spokesman-Review.

Lawmakers have already extended the program once and it provided up to $3.5 million to qualifying projects in Washington. It’s funded by money from hotels, banks and other local businesses in return for a tax credit. Most of the program has been used by the Spokane production of Z Nation.

A year ago, Democrat Rep. Marcus Riccelli and Republic Sen. Michael Baumgartner co-penned a bipartisan bill to renew and expand the program. The Spokesman-Review reported it would also increase the program to $10 million by 2020 — the same amount of money offered by Oregon.

The bill died in committee in 2016, however.

Riccelli told the Spokesman in January that he hopes to introduce a new bill to extend the program through 2022. The hurdles, however are coming because lawmakers would be turning down tax money in a year when school funding has become a priority.

Wulczynski, who has moonlighted as a zombie for Z Nation, said that there has been four feature films in the area and the tax incentives could have helped if they are expanded. As an educator, he has been able to tap into the local film community as well.

“It’s been an extra asset for students at Wellpinit High School,” Wulczynski said. “They have come to career fairs, talked to and mentored some of the students here. The film community is participating in the Spokane Tribes Career Day in April.”

He added that six projects were turned away in 2016 that could have otherwise brought economic activity to the area. Z Nation is slated to come back for season four, however without the incentive program they may not choose to come back.