Chicago just stopped taxing women for having periods

[MerryBlooms]

Chicago’s City Council voted unanimously yesterday to get rid of the sales tax on tampons and pads, becoming one of the first major US cities to do so.

The council voted to reclassify the feminine hygiene products as "medical necessities," exempting them from taxation. Right now they are subject to a 10.25 percent sales tax, a combination of city and state taxes.

The vote will only remove Chicago’s portion of that tax, which is a modest 1.25 percent. Removing the rest of the sales tax would require action at the state level.

Still, Chicago’s action puts the city at the forefront of a national movement to remove taxation on products considered basic necessities that only women are forced to buy. Advocates say the tax amounts to a penalty on women who have periods.

So far, seven states, including Illinois, are considering measures to exempt these products from their sales tax codes. Five states have already made the change, and Canada removed sales taxes on feminine hygiene products this past summer.

http://www.vox.com/identities/2016/3/17/11253628/chicago-tampon-tax

Exellent.

[femmedem]

1. Excellent! We don't have a city sales tax, but I'll contact my state rep and senator to do the same.

It will be a hard fight, given our huge budget deficit, but winnable. They won't want to take a stand that hurts 50% of their voters.

[MerryBlooms]

2. Great!

[Wounded Bear]

3. Sounds good...

baby steps, but steps forward any way.

[Crepuscular]

4. One would think

that the Chicago City Council would have better things to do with their time, like addressing the horrific number of killings that occur in that city but apparently that's too much to hope for.

As far as the removing this particular tax, putting aside the merits of doing so for this particular item, I suspect that this could open the door to the removal of tax on a plethora of items, which begs the question, is Chicago operating with a tax surplus and if not, where is the money going to come from to fill the void created by removing the tax on this and other similar consumer goods?

[LanternWaste]

7. A rational mind might think

"One would think that the Chicago City Council would have better things to do with their time..."

A rational mind might also think the City Council is capable of, and consistently engages in working on more than one, single agenda item at a time... even the agenda items we're not aware of.

[Crepuscular]

8. Well,

if they are actually capable of multi-tasking and are attempting to address the abhorrent levels of murder that are taking place, all available evidence would indicate that they are failing miserably....

[CTyankee]

9. A sales tax of 10.25 percent! That is horribly regressive...

If more progressive women would run for state office, this hideously unfair tax would be repealed...

[jonno99]

5. Wow - I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. I mean, wtf? nt

[Else You Are Mad]

6. As a male in good standing...

I would like to apologize on behalf my fellow male politicians behavior and acts that enacted these taxes as penalty for having a female body. Not all of us try to control females and their bodies.

Seriously, as a single guy that has never had to deal with such, I didn't know that they were taxed. That is just beyond absurd.

[Holly_Hobby]

10. Just thank you

Welcome to DU!

[snooper2]

11. This is going to be a great thread again...

I want tax back for my beard trimmer!

[Skittles]

12. do you forget we gals shave too?

yes INDEED!