State Lawmakers Target 'Pink Tax' Of Women Paying More Than Men For Goods

(KPIX 5) -- California lawmakers are seeking to end price discrimination between the cost of women's and men's goods like clothes and toiletries.

The difference is more than pink versus blue packaging; it also comes down to dollar signs. Shopper Whitney Stevenson said it's a real problem."Gender bias is a real thing. And if it's for a woman it's going to be more expensive."

A recent study found that 42 percent of the time, women's products are more expensive than men's, with women paying an average of seven percent more per item. The so-called "pink tax" would be illegal under a proposed bill in the Senate. SB 899 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 5-1 vote last week.

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Shopper Robbin Roberts thinks that makes sense. "It shouldn't cost more because it is a women's product, not a man's. I bet if you read the box it's the same ingredients," she said.

But while it would be great for ladies' pocketbooks, retailers say it would be a pain in theirs. The California Retailers' Association says it would be "impossible to coordinate the pricing of these goods when placed onthe retail market," because it would "require different pricing standards for California than other states."

So while the idea is nice, the reality is likely a long way off.