Florida GOP to Filmmakers: No Family Values, No Tax Credit

They say everyone's a critic, but it'll be interesting to see how Florida's Republicans figure out which films will be "family friendly" enough to qualify for a tax credit proposal the state GOP is pushing.

One thing seems certain -- no movies or TV shows with gay characters will be eligible for the "family friendly" tax credit provision that was inserted into a $75 million incentive package that House Republican leaders hope will attract film and entertainment jobs to the state. That's because it explicitly bars productions with "nontraditional family values" from receiving a tax credit.

That would seem to target gay characters and plots -- though State Rep. Stephen Precourt, a Republican from Orlando, told The Palm Beach Post that he was not singling out gays by including the term "nontraditional family values" in his bill. But when the Post asked Precourt 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."

Not that sun-baked Florida would have worked as a set for "Brokeback Mountain." But does "nontraditional family values" mean anything beyond excluding beyond gay characters?

The bill defines a family friendly movie as one suitable for a 5-year-old, that has "cross-generational appeal," and includes "a responsible resolution of issues," according to the Post. No smoking, no cursing, no drunkenness, no sex, no nudity and no gay people, even if fully clothed.

"Think of it as like Mayberry," Precourt said, referring to "The Andy Griffith Show" of his youth. "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?"

Of course, Precourt's district includes Disney World. On the other hand, Disney has repeatedly come under fire from social conservatives for the annual "Gay Days" at its theme parks and for providing domestic partnership benefits to employees. Boycotts in those cases eventually succumbed to the appeal of the Magic Kingdom and its films.

Given the hothouse that is Florida politics these days, especially with a fierce battle for an open Senate seat and the governor's office, it's no surprise this bill is becoming a big issue.

Gov. Charlie Crist, who is in a battle for his political life against Tea Party favorite and GOP primary rival Marco Rubio, was not going to pass up a chance to outflank Rubio on the right.

"Let me define it in the positive," Crist said of the family-friendly tax credit provision. "A traditional family is a marriage between a man and a woman. That's traditional."

But not everyone thinks this is a winning issue. Attorney General Bill McCollum, a Republican candidate to replace Crist, told the Post he didn't want to get into a "word game" about what the language means.

"You'll have to ask the bill sponsors," McCollum said. "They've got something in mind, I'm sure."