>> Eva: WELCOME BACK TO "GMA3." WE'RE EXPLORING A TOPIC TODAY WE'RE EXPLORING A TOPIC TODAY THAT MAKES SOME PEOPLE THAT MAKES SOME PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE, PERIODS. UNCOMFORTABLE, PERIODS. THAT MONTHLY VISIT FROM AUNT THAT MONTHLY VISIT FROM AUNT FLOW CAN BE A REAL PROBLEM FOR FLOW CAN BE A REAL PROBLEM FOR SOME WOMEN AND GIRLS BECAUSE SOME WOMEN AND GIRLS BECAUSE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS ARE EXPENSIVE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS ARE EXPENSIVE AND NOT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD AND NOT EVERYONE CAN AFFORD THEM. THEM. THE LACK OF ACCESS TO THOSE THE LACK OF ACCESS TO THOSE PRODUCTS KEEPING SOME FROM GOING PRODUCTS KEEPING SOME FROM GOING TO WORK, AND TO SCHOOL. TO WORK, AND TO SCHOOL. >> DeMarco: AND THAT'S THE >> DeMarco: AND THAT'S THE KEYWORD, ACCESS, AND NOW NEW KEYWORD, ACCESS, AND NOW NEW JERSEY IS WORKING TO BREAK THE JERSEY IS WORKING TO BREAK THE TABOO WITH THE GOVERNOR SIGNING TABOO WITH THE GOVERNOR SIGNING A LAW REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS A LAW REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO OFFER FREE MENSTRUAL TO OFFER FREE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS. PRODUCTS. LET'S BRING IN THE GOVERNOR OF LET'S BRING IN THE GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY, PHIL MURRAY AND NEW JERSEY, PHIL MURRAY AND FIRST LADY, TAMMY MURPHY. FIRST LADY, TAMMY MURPHY. WELCOME. WELCOME. IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU BOTH IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU BOTH ON. ON. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, FOLKS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, FOLKS. THANKS FOR HAVING US. THANKS FOR HAVING US. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. >> DeMarco: LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. >> DeMarco: LET'S TALK ABOUT IT. GOVERNOR MURPHY, THE BILL GOES GOVERNOR MURPHY, THE BILL GOES INTO EFFECT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, INTO EFFECT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, AND AFFECTS GRADES 6 THROUGH 12. AND AFFECTS GRADES 6 THROUGH 12. TELL US HOW IT WORKS. TELL US HOW IT WORKS. >> YEAH. >> YEAH. IT'S A BIG STEP FORWARD, AND AS IT'S A BIG STEP FORWARD, AND AS YOU RIGHTFULLY MENTIONED, FOLKS, YOU RIGHTFULLY MENTIONED, FOLKS, THERE'S A REAL STIGMA AROUND THERE'S A REAL STIGMA AROUND MENSTRUATION. MENSTRUATION. SO WHAT THIS BILL WILL DO SO WHAT THIS BILL WILL DO EFFECTIVE NEXT SEPTEMBER, IT EFFECTIVE NEXT SEPTEMBER, IT WILL MANDATE IN ALL PUBLIC WILL MANDATE IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT IS AT LEAST 50% OF SCHOOL THAT IS AT LEAST 50% OF WOMEN AND GIRLS RESTROOMS AND WOMEN AND GIRLS RESTROOMS AND GENDER GEN GENDER-NEUTRAL RESTROOMS WILL GENDER-NEUTRAL RESTROOMS WILL HAVE FEMININE PRODUCTS, TAMPONS, HAVE FEMININE PRODUCTS, TAMPONS, ET CETERA, AND THE THEORY IS ET CETERA, AND THE THEORY IS THAT IF YOU CAN ACCESS TOILET THAT IF YOU CAN ACCESS TOILET PAPER OR PAPER TOWELS, THIS IS PAPER OR PAPER TOWELS, THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THAT. NO DIFFERENT THAN THAT. WE KNOW BASED ON STUDIES THAT WE KNOW BASED ON STUDIES THAT THIS HAS HAD A MEANINGFUL IMPACT THIS HAS HAD A MEANINGFUL IMPACT ON SCHOOL ATTENDANTS BY GIRLS ON SCHOOL ATTENDANTS BY GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN, PARTICULARLY IN AND YOUNG WOMEN, PARTICULARLY IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. IT'S DESTIGMATIZE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. IT'S DESTIGMATIZING THIS WHOLE IT'S DESTIGMATIZING THIS WHOLE QUESTION WHICH YOU RIGHTFULLY QUESTION WHICH YOU RIGHTFULLY POINT OUT IS SOMETHING THAT GETS POINT OUT IS SOMETHING THAT GETS QUITE STIGMATIZED. QUITE STIGMATIZED. WE THINK IT'S A BIG STEP WE THINK IT'S A BIG STEP FORWARD. FORWARD. >> Dr. Jen: AND MRS. MURPHY AND >> Dr. Jen: AND MRS. MURPHY AND GOVERNOR, I'M AN OB/GYN, SO I GOVERNOR, I'M AN OB/GYN, SO I APPLAUD THIS WHOLEHEARTEDLY. APPLAUD THIS WHOLEHEARTEDLY. YOU HELPED THE GOVERNOR IN YOU HELPED THE GOVERNOR IN GETTING THIS PASSED. GETTING THIS PASSED. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE ISSUES WHAT WERE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT LACK OF MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS THAT LACK OF MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS HAD, THE CONSEQUENCES ON GIRLS HAD, THE CONSEQUENCES ON GIRLS IN SCHOOL? IN SCHOOL? >> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR ASKING >> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT. THAT. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT IT'S 1 IN 4 CHILDREN, WOMEN IT'S 1 IN 4 CHILDREN, WOMEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY DO NOT HAVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO PERIOD PRODUCTS. ACCESS TO PERIOD PRODUCTS. YOU CAN CALL IT PERIOD POVERTY. YOU CAN CALL IT PERIOD POVERTY. I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE REFER TO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE REFER TO IT AS. IT AS. IN 2019, I STARTED A STATEWIDE IN 2019, I STARTED A STATEWIDE EFFORT IN NEW JERSEY CALLED EFFORT IN NEW JERSEY CALLED NURTURE NJ. NURTURE NJ. THAT IS TO ENSURE EQUITY IN CARE THAT IS TO ENSURE EQUITY IN CARE AND ACCESS FOR WOMEN AND INFANTS AND ACCESS FOR WOMEN AND INFANTS TO HELP DEFRAY THE MATERNAL AND TO HELP DEFRAY THE MATERNAL AND INFANT MORTALITY CRISIS HERE IN INFANT MORTALITY CRISIS HERE IN NEW JERSEY, AND QUITE SIMPLY NEW JERSEY, AND QUITE SIMPLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS IS NO DIFFERENT. THIS IS NO DIFFERENT. THIS IS TARGETING COMMUNITIES OF THIS IS TARGETING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND THIS WILL MAKE SURE COLOR, AND THIS WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GIVING EVERYBODY THE THAT WE ARE GIVING EVERYBODY THE HEALTH CARE AND THE NEEDS THAT HEALTH CARE AND THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE. THEY HAVE. >> Eva: WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND THE >> Eva: WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST 11 COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST 11 STATES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. HAVE STATES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. HAVE NOW ESTABLISHED OR THEY'VE NOW ESTABLISHED OR THEY'VE EXPANDED THIS TYPE OF MEASURE EXPANDED THIS TYPE OF MEASURE SINCE 2010. SINCE 2010. GOVERNOR MURPHY, I'M CURIOUS IF GOVERNOR MURPHY, I'M CURIOUS IF YOU THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AT A SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AT A FEDERAL LEVEL. FEDERAL LEVEL. >> I DO. >> I DO. I'M NOT SURE THE PROSPECTS IN I'M NOT SURE THE PROSPECTS IN CONGRESS THESE DAYS. CONGRESS THESE DAYS. CONGRESS IS A TOUGH PLACE TO CONGRESS IS A TOUGH PLACE TO FIGURE OUT, BUT I WOULD AT A FIGURE OUT, BUT I WOULD AT A MINIMUM ENCOURAGE OTHER AMERICAN MINIMUM ENCOURAGE OTHER AMERICAN STATES TO TAKE THIS STEP. STATES TO TAKE THIS STEP. IT'S NOT -- IT'S NOT A POLITICAL IT'S NOT -- IT'S NOT A POLITICAL STEP IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. STEP IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE KNOW AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE KNOW IT IMPROVES ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL IT IMPROVES ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN, BUT FOR GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN, BUT LISTEN. LISTEN. IF THERE WAS A FEDERAL FIX, I IF THERE WAS A FEDERAL FIX, I THINK THIS IS A NO-BRAINER. THINK THIS IS A NO-BRAINER. IT'S A HUGE STEP TOWARD EQUITY. IT'S A HUGE STEP TOWARD EQUITY. AS I MENTIONED, IT'S A HUGE STEP AS I MENTIONED, IT'S A HUGE STEP TOWARD DESTIGMATIZING SOMETHING TOWARD DESTIGMATIZING SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN QUITE STIGMATIZED THAT'S BEEN QUITE STIGMATIZED OVER THE YEARS. OVER THE YEARS. >> DeMarco: AND GOVERNOR, IF WE >> DeMarco: AND GOVERNOR, IF WE COULD SWITCH GEARS NOW, NEW COULD SWITCH GEARS NOW, NEW JERSEY SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ AND JERSEY SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ AND HIS WIFE WERE INDICTED UNDER HIS WIFE WERE INDICTED UNDER BRIBERY CHARGES. BRIBERY CHARGES. YOU'VE CALLED FOR HIS IMMEDIATE YOU'VE CALLED FOR HIS IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION, AND HE'S DENIED RESIGNATION, AND HE'S DENIED WRONGDOING. WRONGDOING. WHY DO YOU WANT HIM TO RESIGN? WHY DO YOU WANT HIM TO RESIGN? >> I'M GOING TO LEECH LEAVE IT >> I'M GOING TO LEECH LEAVE IT WHERE MY STATEMENT LEFT IT ON WHERE MY STATEMENT LEFT IT ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. FRIDAY AFTERNOON. I HAVE NO NEWS TO ADD TO THAT. I HAVE NO NEWS TO ADD TO THAT. I BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT THE I BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT THE SENATOR NEEDS TO TAKE THAT STEP. SENATOR NEEDS TO TAKE THAT STEP. GOD WILLING, HE WILL IN THE GOD WILLING, HE WILL IN THE INTERESTS OF ALL NEW JERSEYENS, INTERESTS OF ALL NEW JERSEYENS, ISTANBUL