Residents of Hamline-Midway are represented in a Legislature debating whether every student restroom should provide free menstrual products.
The legislation would direct Minnesota public and charter schools to make menstrual products available without charge in restrooms serving older elementary, middle-school, and high-school students.
Rep. Dean Urdahl proposed specifying that the products be placed in restrooms used by female students, calling the change practical and focused on those most likely to use them. The DFL-controlled committee rejected his amendment.
Bill sponsor Rep. Sandra Feist opposed that limitation. She said schools are increasingly using gender-neutral bathrooms and stated that “not all students who menstruate are female.” Feist also said the anticipated usage by non-female students had been included in the cost estimate.
Feist said the proposal would be financed through a $2-per-pupil increase in each district’s operating-capital revenue. She argued that absenteeism caused by lack of access costs more than providing the products.
The committee vote does not end the legislative process, and residents of Hamline-Midway can continue tracking changes to the bill.
Article Source: Alpha News: “DFL legislators want menstrual products in boys’ bathrooms”
