The Chicago City Council rescinded a city sales tax on tampons and sanitary napkins Wednesday.
The vote follows a recommendation that was made without opposition by the City Council's finance committee last week.
"Women in Chicago area taxed 10.25 percent for something that is a necessity," said Ald. Ed Burke.
The tax on the feminine products has become a national issue, with at least seven states now considering legislation. Also, five women in New York recently filed a lawsuit that argues the tax is unconstitutional.
In Illinois, state lawmakers recently advanced a measure to exempt feminine hygiene and incontinence products from the state sales tax. The City Council is also expected to introduce a resolution that calls for state lawmakers to follow its lead.
The move was first proposed last month by a group of aldermen who said the tax is unfair to women.
“What this is designed to do is to shame the other units of government in Illinois that are currently taxing these products into recognizing how grossly unfair this is for the women of Illinois,” Burke said at the time.
