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WNIJ's summary of news items around our state.

Lawmakers Consider Removing Sales Tax On Femine Hygiene, Incontinence Products

"Drug Store" by Flickr User Consumerist Dot Com / (CC BY 2.0)

The Illinois Senate is considering legislation to exempt feminine hygiene and incontinence products from the state sales tax. 

Lawmakers passed the measure out of committee yesterday.

Democrat Melinda Bush calls it an unfair tax on women and seniors, who frequently buy these items.

"They're spending hundreds of dollars every couple weeks on the products. You can imagine if you're in Chicago where it's 10.25 percent.  I mean, literally, these are utility bills for our seniors,” Bush said.

But Republican Pamela Althoff says the change could be made by state tax collectors without passing a new law.

Pennsylvania and Minnesota eliminated taxes on feminine hygiene products and a similar effort is underway in California. ??