A plan to roll-back a state tax credit program for production companies could impact more than just the movie industry.
Critics of the incentive program say it gives film productions back most of the money spent here, while not really creating any permanent jobs. The problem became well publicized after production of the movie “Public Enemies” wrapped up in Wisconsin, and reports showed the state receiving only a small amount of revenue and few long-lasting jobs. That prompted Governor Doyle to propose massive cuts to the program in his state budget.
However, Brian Raffel of Madison-based Raven Software, a video game developer, says the credits could actually help his industry attract high paying permanent jobs. He says the credits could provide the incentives needed to start more projects in Wisconsin and make the state a growing location for game development.
Governor Doyle wants to scale back the incentive program and put a half-million dollar cap on the benefits. At that level, Raffel says the incentives would disappear too quickly and productions companies wouldn't be able to count on them. The Legislature's Finance Committee has said it plans to restore some of the film incentive tax credits to the state budget.