Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito today called sales taxes on feminine hygiene products “unfair,” and expressed support for a bill calling on the state to eliminate the levy.
In an interview with radio host Brian Lehrer, Ms. Mark-Viverito asserted that the imposts on tampons and pads are a burden that piles up almost exclusively on females. Gotham Gazette first reported on the legislation earlier this week.
“It really seems unfair that we as women have to pay that extra cost, for something that we, you know, is part of our life, and is a reality in our life,” she said. “So we just think this is the right thing to do.”
The speaker, known for her liberal and feminist views, noted that other states have done away with the sales tax. She argued the extra 8.875 percent women have to pay on each box of menstrual products adds up to a considerable cost over many years.
“It does come out to a substantial amount of money in a person’s lifetime,” she said.
Ms. Mark-Viverito did not remark on sister piece of legislation in the package, which Queens Councilwoman Julissa Ferraras-Copeland is spearheading, which would give out pads and tampons in public schools.
