Backers of a bill that would exempt feminine hygiene supplies from the state sales tax say it’s simply not fair that women in Ohio are paying taxes on medical supplies they need.
“If I said, ‘oh no, that’s a luxury item, we are going to skip those this month,’ I’d probably be sleeping on the couch.” - Max Dworin, BOXED
The Chief of Staff for the online retailer, BOXED, told an Ohio House committee his company has lowered prices on tampons and sanitary pads to make them more affordable. Max Dworin says Ohio taxes the products because they are considered luxury items but he says women, including his girlfriend, don’t see it that way. “If I said, ‘oh no, that’s a luxury item, we are going to skip those this month,’ I’d probably be sleeping on the couch,” Dworin said.
The bill’s sponsor, Democratic Rep. Brigid Kelly, says tampons and pads should be treated like other healthcare supplies.“Other similar medically necessary products are already exempt from the sales tax,” she noted.
Though previous versions of the bill to eliminate what’s known as “the pink tax” haven’t gotten far, this one has bipartisan support.