Louisiana’s “Pink Tax” Has Come to an End

On Friday it was announced that the Louisiana “pink tax” would now be a thing of the past.

Governor John Bel Edwards signed House Bill 7 into law last year but now that law has gone into effect.

What does this mean? It's pretty simple, House Bill 7 Provides for a sales and use tax exemption for feminine hygiene products and diapers.

Many have been trying to raise awareness about the issue that feminine products are already pretty costly and then to top it off women are charged an extra tax on top of that. Women from all over have been very vocal about the fact that this is not fair.

District 98 State Representative Aimee Adatto Freeman (D-New Orleans) authored the bill. She says, unlike many other essential health products that are available tax-free, items like diapers and tampons were not exempt from the state’s 4.45% sales tax.

“We need menstrual products, and it’s not something we can choose,” said Freeman. “You need them every month, and if you’re raising children, or if you’re taking care of an elderly relative or a special needs child, you need those diapers every month.”

Right now consumers are facing several issues when it comes to making a dollar stretch as far as it can so this law going into effect will help women across the state and their wallets.

“For me, it was a fight for everybody across the state,” said Freeman. “There are so many families who live on small-budget margins where having a little bit less tax to pay on their monthly bill will actually put money into their pockets, and so that matters a lot to me that it’s statewide.”