Bill to exempt diapers, feminine hygiene products from sales tax one step from law

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Lawmakers at the capitol approved a bill that would exempt things like diapers and feminine products from state sales taxing.

The bill was passed without opposition Monday, May 20. It’s not the first time Senator JP Morrell has tried this, but it’s the only time we’ve seen it get this far.

The bill would exempt diapers and feminine hygiene products from state sales taxing. Local governments would have the opportunity to opt in to the exemption as well. It carries a $9 million price tag, but proponents have consistently argued that other essentials like food and water are exempted from state sales taxing, so these essentials should be too.

“Ending the tax puts more money in the pockets of women and families who will spend that money in our economy and it has a significant impact in the pockets of low-income families," said Michelle Erenberg with LIFT Louisiana.

That bill now heads to the House floor for debate. Morrell tried to do this as a constitutional amendment, thinking that might get more support since voters would get the final say. The Senate killed that idea in favor of the more traditional route. Now, it’s just a step away from becoming law.

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