Film tax credit controversy rises again

Is the state’s film tax credit worth the cost to the state?

There was plenty of debate in the House Finance Committee over the question Thursday in the wake of Gov. Chafee’s proposal to eliminate it.

The Chafee administration says the money could produce 100 times more economic activity if it were spent elsewhere.

Supporters say the film tax credit is a good investment and has already created over 4,000 jobs.

When we looked at the controversy last December, we found that different reports gave very different analyses. The matter is so contentious, we were unable to apply the Truth-O-Meter.

But you can get a sense of the debate and follow the links to the reports — and their varying conclusions — by clicking on our analysis here.