Which is taxed in your state ... BBQ Sunflower Seeds or Tampons?

Ready to be outraged? Please have a read of my latest essay at Ms. Magazine … which includes a list of some crazy, curious sales tax exemptions in each of the 40 states that tax menstrual products. I wrote it after reading that the rationale of the (all male!) panel in Utah for rejecting the “tampon tax” bill there was to avoid subjectivity in the tax code. Clearly, states can and do make sales tax exemptions when there is an interest they want to promote. And – that they’d be hard-pressed to call many of the items that make my list a greater necessity than tampons. Some of the highlights: Alabama: Casings used in molding or forming wieners and Vienna sausages California: Pop-Tarts Idaho: Chainsaws (over $100) Indiana: BBQ sunflower seeds Kentucky: Pixie Stix Louisiana: Specialty items for Mardi Gras celebrations New Mexico: Souvenirs at minor league baseball stadiums New York: Fruit Rollups South Dakota: Entry fees for rodeo participants Wisconsin: Gun club memberships OUTRAGEOUS. If you think that menstrual equity matters more than, ummm, pixie stix, please share, tweet and raise the roof! Lawmakers are listening ... we've already come such a long way. Thank you and let's keep it going!!