College students advocate for menstrual tax exemption at Alabama State House

Rhianna Rinderkincht, a 20-year-old student at the University of Alabama, said she often struggles to make the choice between buying groceries and menstrual products.

“I’m pretty much financially independent, so money gets tight, and those things are expensive to begin with,” Rinderkincht said in an interview.

Rinderkincht was at the Alabama State House with the Alabama chapter of Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE) on Tuesday meeting with legislators in support of HB 152, sponsored by Rep. Neil Rafferty, D-Birmingham. The legislation would remove state sales tax on menstrual products, baby formula, maternity clothing and other related products. It passed the House in March and awaits approval from the Senate.

Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, attempted to pass similar legislation last year, but it did not get a vote in the House. Alabama is one of 20 states that tax period products, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies. 

“People shouldn’t have to choose between groceries and period products or groceries and baby formula,” Rinderkincht said.

URGE also advocated against SB 277, sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, that centers sex education in Alabama on abstinence until marriage. According to a University of Washington study, abstinence-only-until-marriage programs do not improve teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases or infections. 

“If that’s something that you want to do, that is totally fine. However, you should be giving people enough information to make informed choices,” said Sylvia Glynn, a 21-year-old student at UA, in an interview.

The pair and other student advocates with URGE met with lawmakers to express their support for the tax exemption on menstrual products. Although Rinderkincht and Glenn are not originally from Alabama, they said the policies will still affect them while they are in the state for school.

“This is me trying to give myself a little education about what it does look like to show up and to represent my district. I mean, our representatives are representing us, but also the other way around, how I can do my piece and advocate for myself in my community,” Glynn said.