Nothing is going to turn Holstein or Holy Cross into Hollywood

Iowa HF 411 (and its twin, Senate File 183) would give away a treasure trove full of tax credits and incentives to encourage people to make movies in Iowa. There's no reason for it. What possible leap of logic could justify giving away taxpayers' dollars to filmmakers when the DOT wants to increase taxes on motorists by $200 million a year? Starry-eyedness is absolutely no excuse for stupid public policy. If state legislators want more movies to be made in Iowa, they should dig into their own pockets and fund those movies themselves. Another silly proposal (HF 410) would exempt certain light bulbs from state sales taxes if they're used to raise chickens. What makes chickens special? If chicken farms are given the credit, why shouldn't every business be allowed to deduct the cost of light bulbs? Vastly wiser than any tax giveaway is HF 407, which would prevent the state from over-spending just because taxes were collected over and above expectations. Related: The 2007 Iowa legislative scorecard.