District 66 State Rep. Kimberly Alexander, D-Douglasville, has sponsored and introduced House Bill 148, known as the Tax Accountability Act of 2013. Alexander gave a presentation of the bill to the House Ways and Means Committee last week.

Each year, Georgians invest hundreds of millions of dollars in more than 30 tax credits, tax abatements and other tax treatments, according to a press release from Alexander. Currently, tax breaks can be passed with little notice, with no input from the public and without a clear understanding of who benefits and how much, the release stated

“Tax breaks can serve as great incentives to boost economic growth in Georgia,” Alexander said. “However, we must ensure that any tax break benefits the state’s economy as a whole and is properly vetted before being passed into law.”

If passed, the Tax Accountability Act of 2013 ensures any tax breaks given by the Legislature will have a positive economic impact on Georgia. Tax breaks that only benefit special interests will no longer be hurried through the legislative process. The bill requires the economic impact of any tax break to be studied in an efficient and expedited manner by the state auditor.

Alexander is committed to being a good steward of the public’s tax dollars, the release stated.

She has more than 15 years experience working as an internal auditor and financial analyst in corporate America.

“It is imperative that we have greater accountability and transparency in state government,” Alexander added.

District 66 includes parts of Douglas and Paulding counties.