House Democrats vote to keep tax on basic necessities in place

By Northwest Spotlight — 

Today, House Republicans made a last-ditch effort to ease the burden on working families of the newly passed commercial activities tax.

The $2.8 billion-dollar commercial activities tax exempted groceries, and some big corporations, but failed to exempt other items that working families use every day. House Bill 3446 would have exempted from the backdoor sales tax, tampons, diapers, soap, hearing aids, over the counter oral health products, and toilet paper.

On the House floor, Representative Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) made a motion to pull HB 3446 out of the Revenue committee. The motion, if successful, would have brought the bill to the floor for debate and consideration.

On a party-line vote, House Democrats shot down the motion.

Rep. Boshart Davis said, “Why would you want to tax these items? These are items that working families must buy. I am disappointed that the supermajority chose to put party above the good of Oregonians.”

Forty-seven percent of the Legislative Assembly is made up of women. “I was surprised that all women, regardless of party, would not want basic necessities like tampons and diapers exempt from the commercial activities tax. What the legislature has done this session will hit the wallets of every Oregonian. HB 3466 would have helped those working families living paycheck-to-paycheck by exempting basic necessities,” Rep. Boshart Davis said.