(Image: Period, Inc.)
Climate strikes. Trans Pride. The Womxn’s March. And, Saturday, a rally against sales tax on menstruation products.
Cal Anderson frequently provides a staging ground for protests and demonstrations for some of the biggest issues we face. This weekend will add another important cause to the park’s history of activism — the state’s National Period Day Rally will take place on Capitol Hill:
Organizers are calling on Washington lawmakers to kill the “tampon tax” and join the ranks of 15 states that have already moved to make pads and tampons more affordable.
“It’s 2019, and yet, 35 US States, including Washington state, still have a sales tax on period products considering them non-essential items. 1 in 4 women struggle to afford period products due to a lack of income,” organizers write.
Saturday’s rally in Cal Anderson is being organized by Period, a national nonprofit organization based in Portland created “to end period poverty and period stigma through service, education, and advocacy.”
Attendees are encouraged to wear red.
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I just fucking can’t with this city sometimes.
They should get with Tim Eyman and have it go on the next ballot for a vote to repeal a tax on feminine hygiene products. Tim would probably be happy to help get it on the ballot. Would the nutjob council be willing to work with Eyman so it’ll actually be put to a vote? Can the council get over themselves enough to work with someone they absolutely despise, but would get it done? I think Eyman is an completely whacked out conservative nutcase, but he’d be the person I’d go to for something like this. Instead, we’ll continue to see inaction by a waste of space (and salary) council doing zip.
I thought there might be an exemption for medical devices – calling period products “medical devices” brings up all kinds of philosophical issues, I know – but there is no general sales tax exemption on medical devices, OTC drugs or even prescription drugs. To get a sales tax exemption, any thing sold to consumers needs to be specifically exempted by law. At least, that I the way I read this legislation.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=458-20-18801
🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
https://twitter.com/juliancastro/status/1185572920103526401?s=21
So this is where Socialism draws the line on taxes?
But seriously, if the money raised by this tax isn’t going to help those in need of products and education, it certainly should be. This is should not be a money grab for the general fund.