The Legislature is back in session! Because of COVID-19, the schedule is different than in past years. Here’s what you can expect [corrected dates, sorry for typos in the email!]:
January 19 to 21 Three days of virtual standing committee meetings to consider and take public testimony on the assigned bills. No physical location for the committee meetings. Bills will be reported out with amendments as determined by the committee.
Want to participate in next week’s committee meetings?
You can find that schedule right here.
January 27 through February 5 Adjournment of eight-day virtual session. JCCs on all bills are completed; Presiding officers introduce and refer some bills to standing committees to work the week of February 22.
Week of February 22 Up to three days of standing committee meetings to consider bills referred; DEADLINE: Budget Bill available to the Public no later than February 22nd.
March 1 to April 2 Session reconvenes — in person if health metrics allow.
Action Alert!
SF0027 Essential health product dignity act: AN ACT relating to sales and use taxes; establishing a tax exemption for feminine hygiene products and diapers; and providing for an effective date.
This bill is scheduled for Senate Revenue Committee on Tuesday, January 19. The committee meeting begins at 1:30.
Testify Tuesday to repeal the Tampon Tax
Not up for testifying live? You can always write to the members of the Senate Revenue Committee and ask them to support the bill.
Committee Members (hotlinked to their email addresses) Chairman Cale Case, Sen. Tom James, Sen. Wendy Schuler, Sen. Stephan Pappas, Sen. Fred Baldwin
Tips for contacting Legislators
What you need to know:
Wyoming is one of 30 states that still taxes period products.
Period poverty is real and impacts women and girls across Wyoming. It keeps girls out of school and women out of work—and is easily remedied.
Recently, other nations — led by Scotland — have made the move to make period products free to all women.
A current court case in Michigan challenges the constitutionality of taxing period products and asserts that the Tampon Tax is discriminatory.
The FFCRA (the first coronavirus relief bill) lists period products as “medically necessary” and, therefore, eligible for FSA/HSA spending.
Though Wyoming is in dire fiscal straights and needs to reform its structural deficit with new revenue, maintaining a discriminatory tax is not a solution.
Repealing the Tampon Tax has positive educational, economic, and community benefits.
For more, check out Teton County’s Period Project, the national legal work of Period Equity, and Tax Free. Period.
Want to dig even deeper?
Bridget Crawford has you covered with her legal research “Period Poverty in a Pandemic: Harnessing Law to Achieve Menstrual Equity” here and “The Unconstitutional Tampon Tax” here.
The ACLU has a toolkit for you.
And we’re always here to help. Hit us up.