Two lawmakers proposal to eliminate sales taxes on tampons and diapers failed on Monday.
The measure was supported by Democratic Assemblywomen Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher of San Diego and Cristina Garcia of Bell Gardens who aimed to recoup the state’s lost revenue by increasing the sales tax on hard alcohol.
“There is no happy hour for menstruation,” Garcia told the LA Times.
The bill did not make it out of committee as the liquor industry, including alcohol companies Bacardi and Diageo, lined up against the bill – saying that passing the measure would cost the industry $170 million in retail sales and 2,400 jobs.
Assemblywoman Garcia posted she was “bummed” the bill did not get out of committee. She argued that the state’s liquor taxes are among the lowest in the nation and that the cost would have been just 2 cents per cocktail.
