We have some bomb diggity good news! Several states, like Arizona, Nebraska, and Virginia, introduced legislation back in the spring of 2018 to eliminate sales tax for diapers, tampons and other feminine products.
At the start of 2019, Georgia and Ohio Reps. Niraj Antani and Brigid Kelly announced a bipartisan package of family and pro-women bills.
The first bill would allow for tampons and feminine hygiene products to be exempt from sales tax; the second bill would exempt sales tax on baby diapers.
This bill has been introduced twice before, making this the third time legislators have had to work with it. Third time’s the charm, right?
This being said, it is the first time that a republican has been behind the introduction of a bill regarding sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products. “As a conservative Republican, I am strongly in favor of tax cuts that will help Ohioans,” Rep. Antani said.
Personal hygiene products are sales-tax free in Ohio, but tampons, other feminine hygiene products and infant diapers aren’t.
What does this movement mean for the rest of the United States?
The issue regarding pink tax is not old news. These products are medically necessary for all women in the U.S. and by making these products tax free, we are helping women, families and children. Right now these bills are only being passed statewide. Once representatives in states create these small snowball bills, other states will follow and create avalanche of good nationwide.
The plan is for other states to pass these bills as well, and if more states begin to do this then we could have a federal bill passed that financially protects and benefits hard working women and families.
“By exempting feminine hygiene products and diapers from the sales tax, thousands of Ohioans will benefit,” said Ohio rep. Kelly.
These two representatives are working for families in need that are struggling to make ends meet. Their hope is that by following the footsteps of other states, they too will create an incentive to make this a federal bill.