Governor Gavin Newsom, Mr. Progressive himself, seems to be taking a page from the GOP playbook. The California Governor, often celebrated for his forward-thinking environmental policies and social justice stances, is now reaching for some old-school tax breaks—$750 million of them—to keep Hollywood’s film industry in-state. Yes, Newsom, the guy championing green jobs and universal healthcare, has found a new calling: tax credits for the rich and famous.

Newsom’s latest move is a surprising shift, one that suggests he might be recognizing that big corporations sometimes need incentives to stay in California. Republicans often believe in giving tax breaks to big companies to help keep the economy strong, but now Newsom is supporting this idea as if it’s the next big thing in green energy.

Why has Newsom suddenly decided to borrow a page from the GOP playbook? The answer is clear: he wants to put an end to the increasing exodus of film and TV production from California to states like Georgia and New Mexico, where tax breaks are abundant. Let’s be clear: it’s not just the film industry trying to escape. The California exodus includes some rally big companies such as Chevron, Tesla, SpaceX, Charles Schwab, HP Inc., and Oracle. Tinseltown could be the nail in California’s coffin.

Ironically, Newsom is now claiming this plan is all about “saving” Hollywood jobs. You’d almost think he lifted that line straight from a red-state governor’s press release about how tax cuts magically create jobs! The plan doesn’t just lean conservative; it leans pragmatic, showing that even progressive leaders can’t always rely on ideology when real money and jobs are at stake. It’s the kind of move Republicans would likely applaud, provided they can look past the “Hollywood” part of the equation.

Newsom’s Hollywood tax credits signify that, no matter how blue your state is, dollars and jobs have a funny way of steering policy.