9 Aug 2024 7:30 am
As governor of Minnesota, one of Tim Walz's accomplishments was signing a 2023 education law that included a mandate for schools to provide free menstrual supplies to students in grades 4 through 12.
That mandate is drawing fresh attention as the Trump campaign seeks to criticize Walz for the law, claiming it requires school districts to supply tampons and pads to both female and male bathrooms due to transgender boys who may menstruate. On social media, the hashtag #TamponTim began trending on August 6, the day Walz was named as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate for the Democratic presidential ticket.
"As a woman there is no greater threat to a woman's health than leaders ... who support putting tampons in men's bathrooms in public schools," Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Tuesday.
In a statement emailed to CBS MoneyWatch, Leavitt claimed that Walz "has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State." She added, "Tampon Tim put tampons in boys' bathrooms, wants men to play in women's sports, and supports gender transitions for minors."
The Minnesota law, however, doesn't specify in which bathrooms the menstrual supplies must be located; instead, it requires school districts to develop plans to ensure all students who menstruate can access free tampons and pads, Lacey Gero, director of government relations at the advocacy group Alliance for Period Supplies, told CBS MoneyWatch. Her group advocates for free tampons and pads in schools, prisons and other institutions and eliminating the so-called
That mandate is drawing fresh attention as the Trump campaign seeks to criticize Walz for the law, claiming it requires school districts to supply tampons and pads to both female and male bathrooms due to transgender boys who may menstruate. On social media, the hashtag #TamponTim began trending on August 6, the day Walz was named as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate for the Democratic presidential ticket.
"As a woman there is no greater threat to a woman's health than leaders ... who support putting tampons in men's bathrooms in public schools," Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Tuesday.
In a statement emailed to CBS MoneyWatch, Leavitt claimed that Walz "has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State." She added, "Tampon Tim put tampons in boys' bathrooms, wants men to play in women's sports, and supports gender transitions for minors."
The Minnesota law, however, doesn't specify in which bathrooms the menstrual supplies must be located; instead, it requires school districts to develop plans to ensure all students who menstruate can access free tampons and pads, Lacey Gero, director of government relations at the advocacy group Alliance for Period Supplies, told CBS MoneyWatch. Her group advocates for free tampons and pads in schools, prisons and other institutions and eliminating the so-called