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Rep. Murphy: Legis.news
4/20/2009

Legis.News -- Inside the Iowa Legislature, April 17, 2009

By Speaker of the House Pat Murphy

EXPANDED INCENTIVES TO BOOST THE MOVIE INDUSTRY IN IOWA

In 2007, Iowa created the Film, Television and Video Project Promotion Program in the Department of Economic Development (DED). The program offers incentives to increase the likelihood that more films like "Field of Dreams," "Twister," or "The Bridges of Madison County" will be made in Iowa. As these projects employ local labor, purchase materials, rent hotel rooms, fill restaurants, and purchase or rent other goods and services, they can provide a major boost to local economies in Iowa.

So far, the program has been a success. The film program has succeeded in drawing thirteen film projects to Iowa. By comparison, in four decades prior to the program, there were a total of just twenty-three projects shot in Iowa. Iowa's program has been mentioned as an example by the National Governor's Association Center for Best Practices.

The current program contains a 25 percent tax credit for certain expenditures made to Iowa residents, as well as a 25 percent investment tax credit. None of the incentives can be used for film projects depicting obscene material. Expanding the current incentive program, as this legislation does, is intended to attract bigger film projects. It will make Iowa's program more competitive with other states that offer incentives, including Wisconsin, Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona and North Carolina.

According to news reports, House File 818, floor managed by Rep. Roger Thomas of Elkader, may already be making a difference. Iowa is in the running to land a major film company from Canada to produce blockbuster films with a budget of several hundred million dollars.

************************************************************* CREATING GREEN JOBS IN WIND ENERGY

Throughout the session I've emphasized three basic goals for the year: balancing the budget, rebuilding after last year's storms, and creating good jobs. Over the last few years, part of our job creation focus has been on renewable energy industries, and those efforts have already created 2,200 green jobs.

This week, following the lead of Reps. Vicki Lensing of Iowa City and Donovan Olson of Boone, we approved a legislative package designed to expand wind energy production and renewable energy tax credits, create wind innovation zones, and encourage more renewable energy research in Iowa.

House File 810 will provide tax credits for small wind generating systems developed in local communities which have designated wind innovation zones. The legislation directs the Iowa Utility Board to develop guidelines for a small wind energy system to connect to an electric utility. And the Iowa League of Cities will join with other organizations to provide guidelines for local communities to draft wind innovation zone ordinances.

Another bill, HF 817, expands tax credits to increase research of renewable energy generation components. Finally, Senate File 456 expands existing state tax credits for wind energy projects of all size, including farms, schools and hospitals.

A report by the Iowa Policy Project found that Iowa's wind power generation has tripled since 2006, and that fifteen percent of the electricity generated in Iowa comes from wind generation. Among the 50 states, Iowa ranks second in wind generation.

************************************************************* ABOUT PAT MURPHY

Pat Murphy is the Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives. He is serving his ninth term representing Dubuque. Before serving as Speaker, Rep. Murphy spent three years as Democratic Leader and nine years as the top-ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

For more information and news from the Iowa House of Representatives, visit our website at http://www.iowahouse.org


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