Florida Lawmaker Attempts To Deny Tax Credit To Movies Filmed With Gay Characters

[babylonsister]

Mayberry? This clown wants to go back in time! :crazy:

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/08/florida-lawmaker-movies/

Florida Lawmaker Attempts To Deny Tax Credit To Movies Filmed With Gay Characters


Lawmakers in Florida are hoping to pass a $75 million incentive package to attract movie studios to film in Florida, but a little noticed provision could deny tax credits to movies that feature gay or other “nontraditional family values.” Florida’s Entertainment Industry Economic Development Act would revise the current incentive program — which already offers a tax credit worth 2% of a movie’s production costs if it is “family friendly” — to specifically exclude movies that depict “nontraditional family values” from receiving the additional credit. Here is the relevant provision:

A certified production determined by the Commissioner of Film and Entertainment, with the advice of the Florida Film and Entertainment Advisory Council, to be family-friendly…Family-friendly productions are those that have cross-generational appeal; would be considered suitable for viewing by children age 5 or older…and do not exhibit or imply any act of smoking, sex, nudity, nontraditional family values, gratuitous violence, or vulgar or profane language. Under the current incentive program, review of the final release version is not required and nontraditional family values, gratuitous violence, and implied acts do not exclude a film from receiving this additional credit.

State representative Stephen Precourt, whose district includes Disney World, says the purpose of the credit is to encourage movies to depict cinematic life from the 1960s. “Think of it as like Mayberry,” Precourt told the Palm Beach Post News. “That’s when I grew up — the ’60s. That’s what life was like. I want Florida to be known for making those kinds of movies: Disney movies for kids and all that stuff. Like it used to be, you know?”

Precourt claims that his provision does not specifically target movies with gay characters but “asked if shows with gay characters should get the tax credit, he said, ‘That would not be the kind of thing I’d say that we want to invest public dollars in.’”

Florida has been recognized by eQualityGiving.com for being one of the least gay-friendly states in America. Florida has no statewide law prohibiting discrimination; its constitution prohibits gay marriage; and, it is the only state in the union that forbids gays from adopting children.

[joeybee12]

1. Good Lord, you can't make up this kind of crazy...n/t

[RT Atlanta]

2. Wow...

K&R for everyone else to see the fundies at work in FL.

As for my 1960s, I will take this any day of the week over Mayberry:

[babylonsister]

4. Me, too! And I still have a problem with Mr. Limpid (sp?). nt

[HopeHoops]

7. Do you mean "Mr. Limpet"? The fish?

If so, you MIGHT have a good point. He had a sweetie as a human and then, without breaking up with her, got a fish for a sweetie. NOT GOOD FAMILY VALUES!

[babylonsister]

10. Yea, him. Even as a kid he freaked me out in that role. nt

[HopeHoops]

16. Yeah, the cartoon character looked EXACTLY like him!

[HopeHoops]

3. What about Barney?

If they tried to make a Barney movie, wouldn't they get in trouble for an orientation-questionable purplesaurus that hangs around with kids who have no adult supervision?

[gmoney]

5. Thought you were outing Barney Fife

Of course, he and Gomer seemed very chummy, and he never could manage to close the deal with Thelma Lou...

[HopeHoops]

6. Yeah, well Gomer had a sweetheart in his TV show.

They DID seem a little chummy, now that you mention it.

[gratuitous]

8. Why are they so down on my violence?

It's always integral to the plot!

[derby378]

9. Does this mean the biopic SENATOR LARRY CRAIG: MY STANCE won't be filmed in Florida?

Hey, it's a legitimate query...

[atreides1]

11. Mayberry?

So this clown grew up in a town where only white people could be seen?

[flvegan]

12. Yeah, the 60's had no violence or smoking. Or sex.

And last time I checked, "Disney movies for kids" along with damn near every other cartoon used gratuitous violence beyond most Terminator movies. Christ, this would ban Looney Tunes from being created in studios here. I mean, anvils don't just drop themselves.

[Cetacea]

14. What Jack said...

"You show someone kiss a tit, it get's an X. You show someone hack the tit off with an ax, it gets
an R. Go figure." - Jack Nicholson

[Cetacea]

13. Florida.

They can't decide whether or not letting hundreds of dogs tear apart foxes with no escape route should be banned or not. (re:"Fox Pens")

[11 Bravo]

15. So much for a Reagan bio being filmed in Flori-duh.