New Hampshire
NH schools are currently required to provide period products. New bill looks to end that
Period products like tampons and pads are not a luxury, advocacy groups say
One in four people in the U.S. who need menstrual products today struggle to afford them. And more than 20 states still tax period products.
Ariana Triggs and Callie Carmichael, USA TODAY
In 2019, Rochester teen Caroline Dillon spearheaded the passage of a law to mandate New Hampshire schools provide free feminine hygiene products such as pads and tampons to help students without access and to fight the stigma around periods.
But this year, some Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill to remove this requirement, saying it goes against the state constitution.
HB 415 sponsor, state Rep. Katy Peternel, R-Wolfeboro, said to the House Education Policy and Administration committee on Wednesday that while she doesn’t “have an issue” with supplying free menstrual products in restrooms, requiring schools to bear the costs of supplying the products is an “unfunded mandate.”
Why are menstrual products mandated in NH schools?
Current New Hampshire law requires all New Hampshire middle and high schools to provide free feminine hygiene products in dispensers in their female and gender neutral bathrooms.
Dillon, who was a senior at Spaulding High School at the time, brought a mock version of the bill to then state Sen. Martha Hennessey, D-Hanover after learning about “period poverty” in school. The term refers to when girls and women miss things like work or learning time because they can’t afford feminine hygiene products.
Dillon said that she knew girls at her school who would stay home or raise their risk of infection by using socks or newspapers if they didn’t have access to period products when on their cycle.
“To think about my classmates being in need and not having the access to something so basic is just awful,” Dillon told Seacoastonline at the time. “I couldn’t really let that go.”
Dillon also wanted to end the stigma and taboo associated with period products. She believed they should be treated like toilet paper, which is already provided to students for another essential bodily function.
“SB 142 will help ensure young women in New Hampshire public schools will have the freedom to learn without disruption — and free of shame or fear of stigma,” former NH Gov. Chris Sununu said when he signed the bill into law.
Why do legislators want to remove this requirement?
Opponents of the law in 2019 said that it would be an unfunded mandated and could burden taxpayers in already cash-strapped school districts.
Peternel and the other Republican sponsors have a similar argument this time around, saying this law goes against the state constitution’s prohibition on mandating “new, expanded or modified programs or responsibilities to any political subdivision” unless fully funded by the state.
Under the law, schools bear the cost of supplying menstrual hygiene products. School districts can also seek grants to meet this obligation.
Rep. Jess Edwards, R-Auburn, another sponsor of the bill, said that the requirement is “offensive” and unnecessary and that schools will continue to provide products without it.
Over 1,700 oppose removing requirement
On Wednesday, all speakers besides the two sponsors opposed the bill. On the New Hampshire legislature’s website, over 1,700 people signed on in opposition to HB 415. In contrast, 23 signed on in support.
At the hearing, seventh-grader Abigail Banner said that not having menstrual products in her private school requires her to make a plan whenever she is on her cycle. She described one time where she had to use toilet paper because she did not have enough time to go back to her locker to retrieve a pad.
“I could ask my friends for help, but since there’s so much taboo and shame when it comes to talking about periods openly, it would require, well, an entire well thought out plan to not get caught by a suspicious teacher,” she said.
Michael Apfelberg, the president of United Way of Nashua, pushed back against the concern about it being an unfunded mandate, saying he thinks the funding involved is minimal and that it’s worth it for the benefits of improved health and wellness for students, minimized stigma, and raised class attendance.
As of December 2024, 28 states have legislation providing free access to menstrual products in schools.
Editor’s note: This story may be updated as we verify additional details.
A newly released photograph shows New Hampshire businessman and inventor Dean Kamen with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as English billionaire Richard Branson outside on what appears to be a beach. The image was part of the latest batch of files published by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday, as part of an ongoing inquiry into Epstein.
Kamen, who is 74, has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to his time spent with Epstein. It isn’t clear how often the men traveled together, or when they were last in communication.
Kamen’s name has previously appeared in a flight log connected to Epstein, but this is the first public image of the two together.
Kamen, who is 74, has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to his time spent with Epstein. It isn’t clear how often the men traveled together, or when they were last in communication.
The photo of Epstein, Kamen and Branson — the British entrepreneur behind Virgin Atlantic and other companies — is undated. No other context was provided for the image.
NHPR attempted to contact Kamen on Friday morning by email for comment through two associates who have worked closely with him in recent years, but did not immediately receive a response.
Kamen’s name previously appeared in a 2003 flight log for Epstein’s private jet. The flight entry references a trip from John F. Kennedy airport in New York to Monterey, California.
Kamen is himself an avid pilot, who at times has commuted from his home in Bedford to his offices in Manchester via a personal helicopter. After finding early success designing medical devices, Kamen minted his status as a celebrity inventor in 2001, when he rolled out the Segway personal transport device on national television.
(Kamen served on NHPR’s Board of Trustees from 1987 to 1992.)
Epstein died in 2019 as he awaited trial on a range of criminal charges related to child sex trafficking and abuse.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime accomplice, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for aiding in that sex trafficking operation. Before her arrest, Maxwell was living in a secluded home in Bradford, New Hampshire.
It isn’t clear how Maxwell came to live in New Hampshire, or if she had any relationship with Kamen.
Epstein’s relationships with powerful figures including President Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Bill Gates, among others, has been a major source of controversy in Washington, with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers calling for the release of records.
Last month, Trump signed a measure ordering the Justice Department to release more materials related to its investigations into Epstein, following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. It isn’t clear what those files, which are expected to be released, in part, next week, may contain.
In recent years, Kamen has become the central figure in a massive government-funded project in Manchester that aims to one day develop medical technologies that could help regrow human tissues and organs. The project has been championed by powerful figures in New Hampshire, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
How to save time while grocery shopping
Cut grocery shopping time in half with these tips.
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
Cooking your Christmas dinner and missing that one key ingredient? In New Hampshire, you might find it difficult to locate an open grocery store on Dec. 25.
New Hampshire state laws don’t restrict grocery stores from opening on Christmas Day, which falls on a Thursday this year.
But while most businesses are allowed to open, many still opt to close in observance of the December holiday. You should check a shop’s hours or call ahead before heading over.
Here’s what to know about New Hampshire grocery stores on Christmas Day.
Are any grocery stores open on Christmas in NH? Market Basket? Hannaford?
Several grocery store chains, like BJ’s Wholesale Club, ALDI, Market Basket, and Costco, will be closed on Christmas. Target, which sells groceries, will also be closed on Dec. 25. So will Walmart and Trader Joe’s.
Most Hannaford locations in New Hampshire, like those in Portsmouth, Dover, Nashua, and Manchester, will be closed on Christmas Day.
Most Shaw’s locations will be closed on the holiday, as well as most Price Chopper and Market 32 stores.
All Price Rite locations, including the Manchester store, will be closed on Dec. 25, according to a company spokesperson.
Additionally, Whole Foods said all of its stores will be closed on Christmas.
While more New Hampshire grocery stores will be open on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) than on Christmas Day, many chains will operate with limited hours.
Are liquor stores open on Christmas in New Hampshire?
All 67 of New Hampshire’s state-run liquor stores will be closed on Christmas this year, according to the N.H. Liquor Commission.
Will convenience stores be open on Christmas? What about pharmacies?
Most businesses, like gas stations, restaurants, and pharmacies, are allowed to open on Christmas.
Certain Cumberland Farms, CVS, and Walgreens locations have opened on Dec. 25 in previous years.
However, many shops still close on certain holidays to give employees time with their families. It’s best to call ahead and check.
Melina Khan of USA TODAY and Margie Cullen of the USA Today Network contributed to this report.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire 6-year-old tests positive for cocaine, cannabis; mother faces multiple charges
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A New Hampshire woman was charged with child endangerment and witness tampering after her daughter ingested a THC gummy and later tested positive for cannabinoids and cocaine, according to officials.
The incident prompted a police investigation after the state Division for Children, Youth and Families notified the Nashua Police Department Nov. 3.
According to a release shared by Nashua Police Department, detectives learned the 6-year-old had been hospitalized following the ingestion and that her mother, Paige Goulet, allegedly told a witness not to cooperate with investigators.
DRUG-LACED CANDY DISGUISED AS KIDS’ TREATS FUELS NEW HALLOWEEN SAFETY WARNING FOR PARENTS: POLICE
The Nashua Police Department took custody of Goulet and formally charged her. (Nashua Police Department)
“While at the hospital, the juvenile victim tested positive for the illegal drugs, cannabinoids, and cocaine,” the release said.
“Detectives learned that Goulet had told a witness not to cooperate with the police investigation, and detectives determined that Goulet had neglected her duty to care for her juvenile daughter.”
Goulet, 30, was arrested Monday by Meredith police on a felony warrant for tampering with witnesses involved in the Nashua police investigation.
GUATEMALAN NATIONAL FREED WITHOUT BAIL IN THC GUMMIES CASE THAT SENT 12 MIDDLE-SCHOOLERS TO THE HOSPITAL
Nashua police determined Goulet had neglected her duty to care for her daughter. (Wang Zhao/AFP/GettyImages)
She was taken into custody by Nashua police and formally charged.
She is facing charges of tampering with witnesses and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the release.
FLORIDA PARENTS ARRESTED AFTER 4-YEAR-OLD TWINS ALLEGEDLY SHOT THEMSELVES
Paige Goulet was taken to the Nashua Police Department and charged with witness tampering and child endangerment after her daughter’s THC gummy ingestion. (Google Maps)
Goulet was released on $300 cash bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Nashua District Court Jan. 7.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Meredith and Nashua police departments for comment.
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