OPEN LETTER: Diapers in WA State (And Everywhere) Should Be Tax-Free; Change My Mind
Dear Lawmakers, I think necessities like diapers, menstrual products, and other hygiene essentials should be sales tax-free. I remember those difficult days not too long ago when I was a struggling single mom. Having to pay for diapers was the worst. Don't even get me started on that. It was a nightmare!
I remember going to Costco to try to find the cheapest diapers for my baby when I knew that I didn't have enough to pay for everything. But somehow I always made it work.
Thankfully for me, it's been about 10 years since I've had, no wait, it's been about EIGHT years, since I've had to buy diapers for my daughter, Willow. I can't even imagine how much they must be costing now with the price of inflation.
Just for kicks, I just looked up a few prices online for diapers, and here are the results:
A pack of 92 diapers at Walgreens for $13.99 plus tax.
A 74-count pack of All Good baby diapers at Walmart Supercenter for $19.97
Depend Adult diapers (92-count) for over $45 at Costco.
Millie Moon "Luxury" Diapers at Target gets you a 72-pk for $24.99.
The cost of buying all these disposable diapers adds UP! No wonder my mom made me a diaper-cloth baby in the 70s!
And now that I'm getting older in about 20 years I'll probably have to be buying diapers for myself! I don't even want to think about that but it's something I would have to think about.
I was TODAY years old when I found out that thirty-five (35) states in America charge for diapers. This means that fifteen states have already progressed in this matter. Washington state needs to get with the times and catch up!
I didn't even know we had that option to change the law regarding this! Yasss!
There's a State Senator I know that lives in Kent, her name is Mona Das, and she has proposed a bill to end all sales taxes on diapers adult and baby diapers. I think that is a blessing in disguise and it better pass if you ask me. There are so many struggling parents out there, whether they are single parents or even 2-income family parents, who would love having not to pay any sales taxes on diapers. They already cost so much, so saving every little bit of change truly helps. I will be keeping tabs on this bill with my fingers crossed that it passes. You can read about State Senator Das' full proposed bill here.
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