The Fight Against California's Tampon Tax

Guest: Cristina Garcia, Assemblymember, California’s 58th Assembly District In many states across the country, tampons, pads, and even diapers are taxed as luxury items. That “luxury” designation might seem surprising, but the truth is that actually, only a handful of states give a sales tax exemption to these kind of products.  Last year, California lawmakers pushed for legislation—dubbed the tampon tax--to eliminate sales tax on feminine hygiene products. The bill was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown, who claimed the state could not afford the loss in revenue. But California Assemblymember Cristina Garcia is not giving up—she’s back, with a bill called the Common Cents Tax Reform, which would lift the sales tax on feminine hygiene products and diapers in CA, while imposing an increase in sales tax on hard liquor.