A New Bill Could Make Tampons Tax-Free In California

It's estimated that a woman will spend $1,773.33 on tampons in her lifetime, but a recently proposed bill in California might help alleviate that financial burden. A new bill, introduced in the California State Assembly by Democrat Cristina Garcia and co-authored by Republican Ling Ling Chang, would make tampons sales tax-free in the state. The measure isn't unprecedented in the U.S. — New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota have all made sure sanitary products aren't taxed. "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," Garcia wrote in a Facebook post yesterday. Most women in the U.S. use tampons, and it's recommended to change them every four to eight hours, which definitely adds up over the course of a monthly three to seven-day period. This proposed bill won't eliminate the (unfairly exorbitant) cost of being a woman — did we mention the "pink tax"? — but it would certainly chip away at the financial burden women bear. While saving money on a female-specific necessity sounds great, Garcia makes a good point that taxes are a hardship for women living in poverty in particular. With the lowest sales-tax rate in California at 7.5%, passing this bill could save women in The Golden State serious cash. As Garcia put it, "If we can’t make them free, we should at least make them more affordable." Amen, sister.