The excitement of the Oscars may be over for another year, but thanks to Florida lawmakers, the movie biz is lingering on in the limelight today. Rep. Stephen Precourt is in the hurt locker over a bill that offers a $75 million tax incentive package for companies that produce “family-friendly” movies but denies the tax break for movies that portray “nontraditional family values” . . . which could mean films that show families headed by gays, critics point out.

The Palm Beach Post broke the story this morning. Apparently Precourt, the bill’s sponsor, thinks movies that benefit from the incentive should conform to the moral and social frame of reference of the mid-1960s’ Andy Griffith Show: “Think of it as like Mayberry,” he said, referring to the show’s fictional setting. “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?”

Yes, we know (those of us who go that far back, anyway). We also know that things have moved on since then. Surely not all Floridians want to encourage only shows with the artistic depth and social relevance of the Beverly Hillbillies?

Would movies with gay characters get the tax credit? “That would not be the kind of thing I’d say that we want to invest public dollars in,” said Precourt, whose remarks have gay advocacy groups and blogs howling censorship.

This is the kind of stuff that gives movie tax credits a bad name.

Like they need it right now. The State of Iowa, once among the most generous providers of movie tax incentives, is considering ditching its program, which was temporarily suspended by Governor Chet Culver last year amid allegations of lax oversight and mismanagement and criminal investigations into possibly fraudulent claims by filmmakers. And a report from the Tax Foundation, published in January, argues that movie production incentives attract mostly temporary jobs and fail to generate wealth or jobs in the long run. ###