Dallas-based Half Price Books is helping lead the fight against a bill being considered in Austin.

The bill would allow bookstores to be sued for selling or even displaying harmful material to minors.

Supporters say it’s needed to protect children, but critics call it censorship.

Workers at Half Price Books love reading but reading every book that comes through its doors, President Kathy Doyle Thomas says, is unrealistic.

But that, she says, is what her stores would be expected to do under a bill proposed by Republican State Rep. Nate Schatzline of Fort Worth.

“How do we know in all of these books that we have in all of the stores across the state — We don’t know what’s inappropriate. [They] could be inappropriate in Corpus Christi compared to Dallas, Texas,” explained Doyle Thomas.

HB 1375 would hold bookstores liable for “damages arising from the distribution, transmission, or display of harmful material to a minor.”

Rep. Schatzline told a House committee last month that it provides parents with the option to sue those who expose children to obscene content.

“As lawmakers, we have a duty to protect families and children from exploitation and from the unchecked spread of harmful spread of harmful materials in our communities and online,” said Rep. Schatzline.

Doyle Thomas says titles in the romance, mystery and self-help sections would be at the top of the list of those at risk of being targeted.

“When I saw the bill, I was just frustrated and mad and I thought we have to do something about it,” she said.

In a recent letter to lawmakers, Doyle Thomas wrote that HB 1375 is “a threat to all booksellers” and asked them not to interfere with their ability to do business in what’s seen by critics as the latest chapter in book censorship.

“Someone is trying to decide what I can and can’t read and my children can and can’t read and we do not think that’s fair or appropriate,” said Doyle Thomas.

The bill remains in a House committee.

The Texas legislative session is scheduled to end on June 2.

“I thought we had a lot more guys look a lot more dangerous tonight, up and down the lineup,” DeBoer said. “You know, that’s a credit to our group. We looked at last game, we made some adjustments, and our whole group was more dangerous. We got some great contributions from some unsung heroes. Our penalty kill, I thought Sam Steel was outstanding tonight, Colin] [Blackwell had a couple of blocked shots. A lot of work by guys that don’t get noticed a lot.”

After going 7-10 in 2024, the Dallas Cowboys are hoping to get back on track in 2025. They’ve made some huge changes as they turn to a new head coach in Brian Schottenheimer and added more firepower — including the addition of wide receiver George Pickens.

While they should be praised for being proactive this offseason, they still face a daunting task with one of the toughest schedules in the league.

MORE: Cowboys’ defensive free agency signing named most ‘head-scratching’ move

There are several tough opponents that Dallas will have to overcome, but according to Pro Football Network’s Kyle Soppe, the toughest challenger will be a team they know well. Soppe says the biggest obstacle for the Cowboys will be heading to Detroit to take on the Lions.

“America’s team has to travel to Detroit to face the team that America has fallen in love with recently. The Lions went into Jerry’s World in Week 6 of last season and won by 38 points. If a healthy Dak Prescott can post a competitive effort on the road against a top-tier team in the conference, it would go a long way toward proving that this team is ready to compete for a playoff spot in a strong NFC East.”

Dallas won in a controversial contest in 2023, but the Lions made a statement last year by humiliating the Cowboys at home. The Cowboys have a chance to erase that awful performance from their memory, while getting revenge in Detroit.

In years past, they’ve folded in the face of such challenges. This test will prove whether or not Brian Schottenheimer’s culture change is working.

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