Penny Pause Sparks Texas Cash Crisis | Amarillo News

The U.S. Mint is pausing penny production because it costs three times more to make and ship one than its face value—leading to fewer pennies in circulation. Businesses are adapting by rounding cash transactions to the nearest nickel, but Texas local governments are stuck: they’re legally required to give exact change on cash payments like property taxes and fines. In Travis County, 19% of tax payments were made in cash last year, forcing counties to mail refunds that cost more in postage than the refund itself. Some officials say a constitutional amendment may be needed to fix this headache—and lawmakers are now scrambling to find a solution for all 254 counties. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7b4c1877fe07e4be