State Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, has filed a bill to ensure girls will be provided tampons and sanitary napkins at K-12 schools across Florida.
Book showcased her “Learning with Dignity” proposal on Monday.
“One in five girls have either left school early or missed school entirely because they did not have access to menstrual products,” Book said. “Girls pay a price when these products aren’t free – and providing them will go a long way toward equity in education.”
Book’s office made the case for why the proposal was needed.
“Women typically spend around $150 – $300 annually on menstrual products, which can cause a financial strain for low-income students and their families. Twenty-three percent of Florida’s children are living below the poverty level, and 66 percent of public school children qualify for free or reduced-price school lunch,” Book’s office noted.
“A period should end a sentence, it shouldn’t end education,” said Ashely Eubanks of the Beauty Initiative, a group in South Florida which has provided more than 400,000 hygiene necessities to women and girls. “Senator Book’s Learning with Dignity bill will ensure hygiene is not a luxury for girls in Florida’s public schools.”
Book, increasingly the subject of buzz that she could run for statewide office, is not the only Democrat to focus on this issue this week.
Also on Monday, state Rep. Mike Grieco, D-Miami Beach, showcased his proposal to mandate tampons and sanitary napkins in public middle and high schools across the state. Like Book, Grieco insisted his bill could be done at no taxpayer costs.
Reach Kevin Derby at [email protected].
Author
