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State Senator Sandoval Calls For Lowering Tax Rate On Diapers

(CBS) -- A state senator from Chicago wants to dramatically reduce the tax on disposable diapers - even though it could mean a loss of millions of dollars in tax revenue for the state.

State Senator Martin Sandoval proposed this last year - and he's trying again: to reduce the tax on disposable diapers and wipes to 1 percent. Down from 6 and a quarter percent.

Now, 5 percent goes to the state. With Sandoval's proposal for just 1 percent, he would have it all go to the municipality.

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He says he doesn't know exactly how much the state would lose, but he says it would be in the millions. Even so, he says it's a good idea.

"I represent a district where we have a lot of children, babies and working moms, and this would be a huge, huge investment in families on the Southwest Side of Chicago, as well as the rest of the state."

Sandoval's proposal to lower the tax would only apply to children's diapers - not adult diapers.

Asked whether he might consider pushing for a tax credit for parents who use cloth diapers as a green option - Sandoval says these days both parents work - often - and the world has changed from the days when there were only cloth diapers.

Alexandra Eidenberg founded the online support group Mom + Baby and is a mother of two with another on the way and a big backer of the diaper tax cut.

"Our children have to wear diapers and they need wipes to clean up," she said. "Why should we be charging them?"

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