Idaho bill to provide free period products in schools fails

Mar 27, 2023, 11:14 AM

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bill that would have provided free menstrual products in girls bathrooms in Idaho public schools failed in the state House, with at least one Republican lawmaker calling the proposal “very liberal.”

The measure advanced earlier this month from the House Education Committee with a “do pass” recommendation. It failed on the House floor 35-35 last week.

It was expected to cost $435,000 to install product dispensers and about $300,000 each year to stock them to provide menstrual products for female students in grades six through 12, according to the bill’s fiscal note. State budget analysts have forecast a $1.4 billion tax revenue surplus at the end of the fiscal year, the Idaho Statesman reported.

“It’s not a lot of money in the state’s budget,” Rep. Rod Furniss, a Republican, told the committee in speaking about the bill. “Today is a step to preserve womanhood, to give it a chance to start right, to not be embarrassed or feel alienated or ashamed, or to feel like they need to stay home from school due to period poverty.”

The state currently pays for toilet paper, paper towels and soap in public school bathrooms, Furniss said. But in schools that don’t offer period products for lack of funding, students without their own products must ask teachers, administrators and friends for help, according to bill supporters.

There are 59 Republicans in the House and 11 Democrats. Thirty-five Republicans opposed the bill, including Republican Rep. Heather Scott, who called it a “very liberal policy.”

“Why are our schools obsessed with the private parts of our children?” she said.

Republican Rep. Barbara Ehardt said phrases such as “period poverty” and “menstrual equity,” which were used to describe inaccessibility to menstrual products, were “woke terms.”

According to the Alliance for Period Supplies advocacy group, as of last year, 15 states and the District of Columbia had passed legislation requiring schools to offer free menstrual products to students.

In Florida, Republican-backed legislation would ban discussion of menstrual cycles and other human sexuality topics in elementary grades. That bill is pending in the Florida House.

United States News

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, top left, bows for prayer in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol in...

Associated Press

Impeachment trial of Texas’ Ken Paxton to begin no later than August 28

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A historic impeachment trial in Texas to determine whether Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton should be permanently removed from office will begin no later than August in the state Senate, where the jury that would determine his future could include his wife, Sen. Angela Paxton. Ken Paxton was immediately suspended from […]

18 hours ago

Associated Press

Teenager walks at brain injury event weeks after getting shot in head for knocking on wrong door

Ralph Yarl — a Black teenager who was shot in the head and arm last month after mistakenly ringing the wrong doorbell — walked at a brain injury awareness event Monday in his first major public appearance since the shooting. The 17-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was shot while trying to pick […]

18 hours ago

Crew members assemble the main stage ahead of the 2023 Scripps Nations Spelling Bee on Sunday, May ...

Associated Press

Exclusive secrets of the National Spelling Bee: Picking the words to identify a champion

As the final pre-competition meeting of the Scripps National Spelling Bee's word selection panel stretches into its seventh hour, the pronouncers no longer seem to care.

18 hours ago

Eugene and Linda Lamie, of Homerville, Ga., sit by the grave of their son U.S. Army Sgt. Gene Lamie...

Associated Press

Biden on Memorial Day lauds generations of fallen US troops who ‘dared all and gave all’

President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who died fighting for their country as he marked Memorial Day with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

18 hours ago

Associated Press

Motorist with sign claiming to have an explosive device drives to Canadian border

HOULTON, Maine (AP) — The driver of vehicle with a sign indicating there was an explosive device on board led Maine State Police on a chase on Interstate 95 to the Canadian border on Monday, officials said. A trooper fired shots after the motorist attempted to maneuver the truck toward the Canadian port of entry […]

18 hours ago

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS...

Associated Press

Takeaways on debt ceiling: McCarthy’s balancing act, Biden’s choice and the challenges ahead

After weeks of negotiations, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have struck an agreement to raise the debt ceiling.

18 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

How to identify the symptoms of 3 common anxiety disorders

Living with an anxiety disorder can be debilitating and cause significant stress for those who suffer from the condition.

(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

Here’s what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

Idaho bill to provide free period products in schools fails