An Arizona House panel has advanced a proposal exempting diapers and feminine hygiene products like tampons from state sales taxes, but its fate remains unclear because it cuts state tax revenue.
Democratic Rep. Daniel Hernandez of Tucson is pushing the proposal for the second year as a way to give a tax break to poor and low-income families.
The bill would cut $7 million in state revenue. A split House Ways and Means Committee approved the measure Wednesday on a 5-4 vote, with three Democrats and two Republicans in support and three Republicans voting no.
Hernandez's bill has three Republican co-sponsors this year, including Ways and Means Chair Michelle Ugenti-Rita. She backs the proposal because it exempts necessities but acknowledged it will be part of a larger budget discussion.
