Menstruation products and diapers will soon cost less in New Orleans.
City council members voted unanimously to end the “pink tax” on Thursday, making the city the first in Louisiana to cut taxes that disproportionately hit women.
Advocates have argued the tax — which doesn’t apply to other necessities, such a groceries — is sexist. It represents a “gender injustice,” said Michelle Erenberg, the executive director of the reproductive justice nonprofit Lift Louisiana, in a press release before the vote.
The change comes after the legislature voted this year to allow local governments to end the tax; it shot down a bill one year ago that would have cut the tax across the state.
The tax reduction in New Orleans won’t be a complete cut. City Council member Helena Moreno, who sponsored the ordinance, said the taxes will drop from 5 percent to 2.5 percent. It takes effect Oct. 1.
That amounts to savings for families that are measurable, but not dramatic. Abolishing the tax completely would save a family $73 on diapers for every child, according to Lift Lousiana. The group estimated savings on menstruation products would add up to $7.95 per year.
But the move is also symbolic. Moreno called the tax “discriminatory” and Council President Jason Williams argued it stemmed from “systemic misogyny."
Copyright 2021 WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio. To see more, visit . 9(MDEwMDkzMjQzMDEzNDc2MjU4NDA0M2ExOA004))
