By Rosa Goldensohn, Crain's

A massive tax break, proposed last week by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, seems assured of being extended for three years by the legislature: $420 million doled out annually to films and television shows.

Supporters have won over lawmakers with economic-impact reports, campaign contributions and star power, relegating watchdog groups’ objections to the cutting-room floor. The tax credit, which reimburses recipients for nearly a third of labor and other expenditures in the state, has the support of studio owners, film companies, TV networks and the unions that represent industry workers. They say it creates good-paying union jobs that would otherwise move elsewhere because of New York’s high costs.

Critics are dubious. “We think it spends an inordinate amount of money to supplement a very well-to-do, very successful industry that is established in New York state and has been for a long time,” said David Freidfel of the nonpartisan Citizens Budget Commission. The governor’s budget calls for a three-year extension through 2022.