Moviemakers will get a 25 percent rebate on many of their production expenses in North Carolina under a bill signed into law by Gov. Beverly Perdue Thursday.

The bill, which increases the existing 15 percent rebate, was described as critical to cultivating the state's film industry, which includes a Screen Gems studio in Wilmington. Various states have engaged in something of a bidding war as they fatten their handouts to Hollywood. Georgia, which recently snatched a Miley Cyrus movie from North Carolina, raised its rebate to 20 percent.

"This is a business," Perdue said during a signing ceremony at the capitol. "They go to where the money is, where they save the money."

A study of film incentives commissioned by North Carolina's film office shows the incentives lose money in their first two years, but state officials say those are conservative estimates that don't consider indirect spending that the films generate.

Under the rebate, a film maker totals up what they spent on salaries, hotel rooms, renting land and buildings, supplies, food and assorted other expenses. The following year, they submit those totals to the state and get a rebate worth 25 percent.

Some recent Senate bills of note:

S.B. 943: Expand Film Credit, Sen. Linda Garrou

S.B. 973: Create Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs, Sen. Tony Rand 

S.B. 992: Authorize Mayors to Solemnize Marriage, Sen. Don Davis

S.B. 994: Establish State Athletics Commission, Sen. Dan Clodfelter

S.B. 1006: Withholding on Contractors Identified by ITIN, Sen. David Hoyle 

S.B. 1014: Lottery Trust Fund, Sen. Doug Berger

S.B. 1018: Reduce Plastic Bag Use, Sen. Josh Stein

A bill would limit tax credits that help pay movie stars' salaries.

Sen. Phil Berger, the Senate Republican leader, said he filed the bill after hearing Democrats complain about taxpayer money going to bonuses for executives of AIG and other financial services firms.

By that same logic, he said, the state shouldn't give tax credits that help pay the salary of an actor like George Clooney, who filmed the romantic comedy "Leatherheads" in Western North Carolina last year.

The bill would reduce the amount of salary money that is eligible for a tax credit from $1 million to $500,000.

"I'm not sure that Mr. Clooney or any of the other folks who make $10 million a picture are in need of money from the taxpayers of North Carolina in order to make a living," Berger said.

The bill would also restrict the state from giving tax credits to any movie that is rated NC-17.

In 2007, Berger called for the state to review scripts of future movies after the North Carolina-filmed "Hounddog" drew controversy over a rape scene. State law already forbids giving credits to obscene films, but Berger said more could be done.

"I think the language could be tightened up," he said.

George Clooney may be a Hollywood liberal, but in North Carolina his name is budget magic.

Rep. Phil Haire, a Jackson County Democrat, convinced the House Appropriations Committee today to shift $50,000 in movie recruitment money to western North Carolina after pointing out that Clooney is shooting a movie at locations between Charlotte and Greensboro, Dan Kane reports.

"Leatherheads," a romantic comedy involving an aging football hero, is slated for release later this year.

Haire proposed taking the $50,000 from a $100,000 allocation to recruit movie productions to Eastern North Carolina. That had Rep. Edith Warren, a Farmville Democrat, up in arms. She said that money is needed to grow film making in her region.

Haire, a chief budget writer, chided Warren.

"I may not be able to get you George Clooney's autograph if you oppose my amendment, Edith," Haire said.

The amendment passed 48-16.

Legislators are closing in on a record for the number of bills filed.

So far, members of the House and Senate have filed more than 3,400 bills, not far from the single-year record of 3,723, the Char-O reports.

(The number of requests for a bill drafting is even higher, according to the unofficial blog of the bill drafting division. That means they're not done yet, though deadlines are coming fast.)

But not all bills are created equal. Here's David Ingram's breakdown:

Likely to die: Raising the cap on charter schools, allowing left turns onto one-way streets at a red light and proposing a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Gaining momentum: A statewide bond referendum this November, cutting off state pensions for convicted politicians and making voter registration easier.

Just plain quirky: Mandate well-ventilated public bathrooms, prohibit "toughman matches" by amateur boxers, allow concealed guns in restaurants, allow raccoon hunting in Ashe County and force labeling of cloned meat.

And here's a few more Dome also found interesting: Withhold state tax credits for makers of NC-17 movies, mandate equity in men's and women's public bathrooms, adopt a state collard festival and open adoption records to adults.