Because taxing a biological function made so much sense in the first place.
Democrat Cristina Garcia and Republican Ling Ling Chang, two California legislators, are introducing a bipartisan measure to make tampons and other feminine hygiene products exempt from sales taxes. Garcia and Chang believe that by ending the “tampon tax,” they are moving American society closer towards gender equality and I wholeheartedly agree.
Ling Ling Chang explained the importance of this bill by noting that “our government is imposing a charge exclusively on women by forcing them to pay extra for the ‘privilege’ of a health necessity.” I think we can all agree that when we have our periods, the last thing we want to think about is how much money we’re forced to spend on a glorified cotton diaper.
In a press release today, Garcia said:
“Basically we are being taxed for being women. This is a step in the right direction to fix this gender injustice. Women have no choice but to buy these products, so the economic effect is only felt by women and women of color are particularly hard hit by this tax. You can’t just ignore your period, it’s not like you can just ignore the constant flow.”
Women in California alone spend $20 million annually in taxes on tampon and pads.
Garcia continued the conversation on her Facebook page. She said:
“This is not insignificant to women, especially poor women on a tight budget who struggle to pay for basic necessities like a box of tampons or pads every month for their adult life. If we can’t make them free, we should at least make them affordable.”
If the bill passes, it will join a list of other tax-exempt products in California like prescription medication and farm equipment. Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Jersey have already gotten rid of the sales tax on feminine hygiene products.
