Today the state legislature takes up a perennial question: Why does Washington State seem to lag behind Vancouver, B.C. and Portland as a setting for films and television episodes?

State Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Magnolia) thinks it may be due to lack of financial encouragement, and is the prime sponsor on a bill "concerning Washington's motion picture competitiveness" that would extend a program of tax credits to film and television makers who base their productions here.

The current program—which offers up to $3.5 million in B&O tax credits to Washington-based film and television makers each year—is set to expire in July.

The Kohl-Welles bill would extend the program through 2017 and double the amount of credits available to $7 million this year. By 2017, it would nearly triple the amount of credits available.

In normal times, this would seem like a no-brainer. But with the state facing a $4.6 billion budget shortfall, the cost of this proposal is sure to be scrutinized. That cost, according to the state Office of Financial Management: $55.5 million over the next six years, and $16 million over the next biennium.

A state senate hearing on the Kohl-Welles bill will be streaming here shortly.