The Florida Senate has removed contentious language targeting productions with “nontraditional family values” from a film incentive bill.
On March 19, the Senate removed that requirement following complaints from the industry and gay rights groups concerned that the language would marginalize single-parent families, gay families and other non-traditional families.
The original bill proposed an increase in current tax credits from 2-5% of production costs for shows considered “family friendly,” and came under fire for its discriminatory nature. It listed a number of factors that would disqualify productions, including depicting “nontraditional family values.” However, the definition of those values was up for debate.
“We thank the Senate for working with us to craft a bill that can create jobs without discriminating against a segment of Florida’s families,” Georg Ketelhohn, chairman of the gay and lesbian rights group, Florida Together, told the L.A. Times.
