Jeff Wentworth
GUEST Commentary

For those Texans who are unhappy about the high cost of gasoline or the increased cost of food (and who isn’t?), I have some good news.

While there is nothing that the state can do about gasoline prices and food costs, the state is providing some monetary relief with a tax-free weekend and ensuring that when Texans buy gasoline, they are getting their money’s worth.

This year, shoppers will get a break from state and local sales taxes on this Friday, Saturday and Sunday when they buy certain clothing and shoes that cost $100 or less. According to Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the tax exemptions could save shoppers about $8 on every $100 spent.

In addition to traditional shoes and clothing, backpacks for use by elementary and secondary students, belts, diapers, both adult and baby, work and school uniforms, raincoats and many other items are tax exempt. A complete list of both tax-free and taxed items is available on the comptroller’s Web site: www.window.state.tx.us.

The clothing sales tax holiday is especially helpful to families with school-age children; however, since work clothes and uniforms as well as suits and ties are on the list, adults also may benefit by buying tax-free shoes and clothing that is priced under $100.

If you fill up with gasoline before hitting the stores and see a sign on a pump that says “Out of Order,” it may be that a Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) field agent has been there checking the calibration on the pump to ensure that you are getting all the gas you paid for.

TDA has 72 weights and measures inspectors who check more than 65,000 fuel pumps a year. An “Out of Order” tag does not necessarily mean that a customer is being slighted. Sometimes, it is the other way around, and the consumer is getting more gas than he or she paid for.

Although most of the time an improperly working pump is the result of a mechanical or computer glitch, Texas Attorney Greg Abbott recently filed suit against Sunmart Travel Centers and Convenience Stores for violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by improperly calibrating their fuel pumps to benefit the company. Sunmart has some convenience stores in Senate District 25; however, the vast majority of them are in the Houston area.

TDA maintains a current list of all service stations found to have pumps that are out of compliance. You may access this list at www.agr.state.tx.us and click on “Public Information Reports” to find both the location and the reason for the noncompliance.

While a tax-free weekend and getting your money’s worth at the gas station aren’t instant cures for the cost-of-living blues, they do offer some tangible financial help.

Texas State Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R-San Antonio) represents District 25, which includes part of Bexar County. He can be reached via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it