Representing two taxpayers, the Goldwater Institute (GI) filed a lawsuit last week against the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) challenging the use of taxpayers’ money to provide subsidies to the movie industry. The Arizona Motion Picture Production Program (AMPPP) hands out up to $125 million annually to films made primarily in Arizona.
State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff), who voted against the bill that established the
AMPPP, expressed her support for the lawsuit to The Arizona Sun Times. “Government should not pick winners and losers,” she said. “Goldwater Institute is right in line with how President Trump is hearkening back to our country’s ethos, which is merit-based, market-driven awarding success to those who earn it on a level playing field… instead of according to who you know, but what you know. We’re done with elitist backroom deals crushing the middle class.”