State Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, co-chair of the state Assembly's Joint Finance Committee, revealed to WisPolitics Monday the JFC held an informal vote showing preliminary support for preserving the state's current film tax incentives.
Gov. Doyle's existing budget proposal would eliminate tax credits to projects filmed in Wisconsin and instead create a $500,000 grant incentive program.
Ben Nuckels, chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, said the film tax incentives attracted millions of dollars to the state last year.
""The lieutenant governor is very supportive of the incentives for the film and video-game industry,"" he said.
According to the Associated Press, Hollywood has become involved in this issue. Wisconsin natives Jane Kaczmarek (""Malcom in the Middle""), Bradley Whitford (""West Wing"") and Tony Shalhoub (""Monk"") have written to Gov. Doyle expressing their support for the incentives.
The Department of Commerce, which declined to comment on the JFC's informal vote, has previously reported that the ""Public Enemies"" movie recently filmed in Wisconsin received $4.6 million in tax credits, but spent only $5 million in the state.
Scott Robbe, executive director of Film Wisconsin, said the DOC did not correctly calculate the positive revenue flow from the eight films and 16 television shows filmed in Wisconsin in 2008 and praised the committee's support of the tax credits.
""It's nice to see that the members of Joint Finance realize that it's just good business sense to let an already successful program mature and grow in 2009 and bring even more jobs and revenue to Wisconsin,"" he said.
