Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) made several fantastical claims — one could use the word “dishonest” — during the latest stop on his book-tour-cum-exploratory presidential campaign. But none of the outlandish claims he made in Austin this month is more false than his claim that Texas is a “higher-tax state” than California.

“We have the most progressive tax rates in America,” Newsom said in answer to a question about income inequality in California. “… Texas taxes poor folks more than we tax our richest. The question for you is, who’s the higher tax state, California or Texas? Who are you for? Are you just for the 1% or are you for the 99%?”