MICHIGAN, USA — Beginning Thursday, feminine hygiene products in Michigan will no longer be taxed.
This comes after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill in November to remove the tax, saying that the bill will help “create economic equality for women.” It went into effect on Feb. 3, 90 days after the bill's signing.
Gov. Whitmer called the tax "unfair", as women previously faced a financial burden that non-menstruating people did not.
“Over the course of a lifetime, the average menstruating Michigander will use 17,000 tampons. That's 456 periods, costing seven to $10 a month, adding up to between $3,360 and $4,800 over the lifetime," said Gov. Whitmer at the bill’s signing.
"By slapping a tax on top of all of that essential spending, we're taking resources away from families that could have gone toward paying the bills, putting food on the table, or saving for a car or for a home or an education or retirement."
Senator Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), who was one of the senators who introduced the bill, said in November that removing the tax allows menstruating people who may be struggling financially to feel more confident.
On Thursday, Brinks expressed a similar sentiment on Twitter, saying that it gives all Michiganders a chance to "participate fully and confidently".
While the bill will cause a loss of $7 million in tax revenue for the state, Gov. Whitmer said the fairness and ensuring that people who menstruate are not punished for a biological function outweighs rearranging the general budget.
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