‘Tampon Tax’ May Go This Year In Michigan Legislature

Women and girls, pay attention to this one: Republicans are expected to sign on to Democrat-sponsored legislation to eliminate the “tampon tax.” The measure would eliminate the Michigan’s sales and use tax on feminine hygiene products, ending what has been called a penalty on women for menstruating.

Those products would join other items — groceries, medication and other necessities — that are exempt from the 6 percent tax. Similar legislation was introduced last year, but never made it out of committee.

Rep. Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, one of the sponsors of the legislation in the House, said feminine hygiene products aren’t optional.

“It’s certainly not a luxury item, and you need it for 40 years, so it’s unlike most other items that are taxed,” she told Michigan Public Radio.

Rep. Brian K. Bolder, D-Bay City, co-sponsored the House version of the legislation. Sens. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights, and Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, sponsored the legislation in their chamber.

Elimination of the tampon tax is a simple issue for Knezek, who told WILX-TV ii makes no sense to classify feminine hygiene products as luxury items, as they currently are under Michigan law.

“... We should treat them like the necessity they are,” he said. “Michigan law exempts a number of medically necessary items from taxation – feminine hygiene products would be a natural addition to that list.”

Feminine hygiene products were included among luxury items when the 1937 Michigan Tax Policy was approved. Knezek told Michigan State University’s Spartan Newsroom that he doesn’t think the inclusion of the products was “intentional or that it was malicious intent,” but said it probably wouldn’t have happened if more women had been in state government positions in the 1930s.

“I don’t think that we would be in this position today if we had men who listened to women, or if we had women who were elected at the state level and able to give voice to these very important issues,” he said.

Several other states and Canada have already jettisoned the tampon tax, and more states are considering it. States that have eliminated it include Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania. The products aren’t taxed in Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon because those states don’t collect a sales tax.

For states, the issue isn’t a simple issue of gender bias. California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a measure that would have eliminated the sales tax on feminine hygiene products last year, saying the exemption would cost the state $300 million in revenue annually.

Photo by Brad Cerenzia via Flickr Commons