(Austin, Texas) — Senator Rodney Ellis and Representative Mark Strama will hold a press conference to kick off the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday weekend on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 11 a.m. in the Senate Press Room, 2E.9.

In 1999, Senator Ellis passed Senate Bill 441, a $506 million tax relief package which created the 3-day sales tax holiday, eliminated the sales tax on over-the-counter medicines and cut business taxes. The tax holiday is designed to give hard-working Texans a tax break on necessities such as back-to-school clothing.

This year, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs predicts shoppers will save $59.3 million in state and local sales taxes during the Sales Tax Holiday, which takes place each year on the third Friday, Saturday and Sunday in August. For a list of tax exempt items, please visit: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx98_490/tx98_490.html