- Hi everyone, Steve Adubato.

We are honored to kick off the program.

Joining us for the first time is State Assemblywoman Shanique Speight a Democrat representing what district Assemblywoman?

- 29th District.

- Which is in and around my hometown.

Well, now it's Montclair but where I was born and raised in Newark, correct?

- Yes, Newark and Belleville.

- Newark and Belleville.

Assemblywoman, one of the areas that you have focused on, on the many you have focused on, is what's being called period poverty.

- Yes.

- Does not get a lot of attention.

I've said this before on the air some folks are uncomfortable speaking about it.

I've learned over time that it's incredibly important to talk about it.

What are we talking about with period poverty?

And what needs to be done to help the young women who are struggling in ways that many others don't?

Largely because of zip code, economics, et cetera.

- Thank you so much, Steve.

One of the things I often start off saying is half of the population menstruate.

And oftentimes we ignore a woman's menstruation.

I was brought up, you know, in a generation where when you get your period, you hide your period.

And oftentimes the affordability of products when it comes to young girls or grown women it's not always feasible for women to buy these products.

So oftentimes people that are struggling when it comes to period poverty is due to lack of income.

And, you know, depending on your household size you can have three to four girls and as a mother menstruating yourself and you're not able to afford these products.

- Hmm.

You know, your appreciation for this isn't just from a public policy and governmental perspective.

- Correct.

- Your personal experience matters a great deal here.

You grew up with a single mom.

- Yes.

- You've dealt with homelessness and poverty.

- Yes.

- When you were 18, you lost your mom.

- Yes.

- And other experiences along the way.

And you have four children all delivered via C-section.

- Yes.

- That and other incredibly difficult challenges and some struggles that you have had personally.

What impact have those and other experiences had on your approach as a state representative?

- Well, one of the things I have to say, and I believe my upbringing has definitely molded me into creating legislation such as this.

And when you go back into my background, just as you were saying, once working on this legislation and understand what my mother had to go through raising four children.

You know, trying to feed four kids, going through shelters, going through the YMCA.

Not being able to afford food.

So I know she wasn't able to afford products.

And just being in this space, it gives me such humility and grace to be able to create legislation like this that I know will impact women my age, younger women, my daughter, my nieces, my nephews, not my nephews, my nieces, family and whomever.

And understanding that, you know, my mother died when I was 18 years old.

She had cervical cancer.

And just wanna make sure we focus on women's health period.

Oftentimes we focus just on the maternal health of it.

But if we focus on a menstrual aspect we are understanding there's a connection between both.

- And by the way, I wanna make it clear that you are working with First Lady Tammy Murphy on her initiative having to do with the fact that maternal health, maternal mortality, that black women are seven times more likely to die in childbirth than white women.

We've had the first lady on talking about that initiative.

Go back and check it out.

But I wanna go back to something.

So when we're talking about period poverty as a former state legislator, I remember the people would often make speeches about an issue, but the legislation would not substantively address the issue.

That is not the case with you.

Your legislation is precise and specific about period poverty.

Please talk to us.

What exactly does it do?

- So one of the pieces of legislation what it would do is individuals that are on SNAP or WIC, New Jersey family- - I'm sorry for interrupting.

The acronyms, SNAP, food stamps.

- Yes.

- WIC, Women, Infant, and Children.

These are both governmental programs, correct?

- Yes, correct.

- Please, I'm sorry.

- What the DOH, the Department of Human Services would do is apply for a waiver for individuals that are receiving those benefits.

They apply for that waiver so that the menstrual products will be covered under the waiver.

And if it's not approved, once they apply through the federal government, I believe the bill is stating that then they would actually appropriate $2 million towards this effort.

- To be clear, one in five menstruating teens struggle to pay for period products.

(clears throat) So with a 12 year old daughter and I'm obviously never gonna talk about the specifics of this.

The idea that for our daughter and for her friends and we're blessed and fortunate enough to be in a situation where I never even thought about, "well, how would you pay for it?"

We're talking one in five.

- Right?

- One in five young women say from 12 to whatever age, you know?

But help us understand when you don't have access to the products you need, period products, what can happen to that young woman?

- One of the things that happen depending on if that young woman is in school she possibly will miss school because she doesn't have access to products and can't afford the products.

And oftentimes I've heard so many women, and as a woman myself, depending on when your period comes on 'cause sometimes it catches you off guard.

Some women have to actually use a tissue.

- So in that spirit because young women spend so much time in school, does your legislation talk about putting period products, menstrual products specifically in bathrooms in schools?

- Yes, we do have a bill.

It was actually two bills that was introduced.

Senator Ruiz actually has a bill and it passed on the Senate side.

And it talks about providing products in school.

And the thing we talked about over the last couple of weeks is just the logistics of how it'll all work out and the cost effectiveness of it.

That's a very important bill to so many young women that it would impact especially in a community like mine.

- And check out our interview with Senator Teresa Ruiz, the Senate Majority Leader.

Go on our website, it'll be up right now.

When we talked about that issue as well.

Assemblywoman, I cannot thank you enough.

I know this is the first time you've joined us.

I promise you it will not be the last.

Thank you, Assemblywoman.

- Thank you so much for having me.

I appreciate it.

- My pleasure.

Stay with us, we'll be right back.

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