WILKES-BARRE — First Lady Lori Shapiro this week visited Tunkhannock Area High School to highlight how the school district supports its students by offering free menstrual products in school restrooms through their “Code Red” program.
First Lady Shapiro met with students, faculty, staff and administrators to discuss the importance of the program and learn more about student needs.
“Menstrual products are essential for students’ health and dignity, yet too many young people across the Commonwealth face uncertainty about access during the school day,” said First Lady Shapiro. “It’s inspiring to see schools like Tunkhannock Area School District stepping up to support their students by providing free period products. With state funding now dedicated to this need for the first time, we are ensuring that no student has to miss out on learning because of a lack of access to basic necessities.”
The “Code Red” program was initially launched as a student project, when students in Katie Wisnosky’s high school English class were asked to identify a problem in their community and provide a solution. The program collected donations and sources funds from community grants to provide menstrual products at no cost to students.
This year, Tunkhannock Area School District will use state funding to continue this program, and stock products in the middle school for the first time ever.
Gov. Josh Shapiro is committed to ensuring that students have the necessary tools to succeed in the classroom, which is why he secured $3 million in his 2024 budget to provide free menstrual products for students in K-12 schools. In his 2025 budget proposal, he called for another $3 million to continue providing these products at no-cost for students.
“I firmly believe in support not stigma which has always been at the heart of our Code Red initiatives,” said Katie Wisnosky, Tunkhannock Area High School English teacher and facilitator of the school’s Code Red Program. “Governor and First Lady Shapiro’s advocacy for free period products reinforce this mission by cultivating inclusivity and empowering our young people. Due to the Governor’s generous funding, I did not have to request donations of supplies through social media this year or write grants to stock our bathrooms. As a teacher, I am thankful for any support which helps our teenagers break harmful taboos and normalize conversations about menstruation. I am grateful for their compassion for our students and their understanding that period products should be readily available as a basic necessity.”
Rep. Meuser co-sponsors bill to restore FAFSA exemptions for farm and small business families
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, this week co-sponsored H.R. 1131 — the bipartisan Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act — legislation aimed at restoring long-standing exemptions for family farms and small businesses in the federal student aid calculation process.
Traditionally, the FAFSA formula did not factor in the non-liquid assets of family farms or small businesses with fewer than 100 employees when determining a student’s expected family contribution. However, the FAFSA Simplification Act — which took effect last year — eliminated this exemption, requiring families to declare these assets when applying for financial aid.
For farm families, Rep. Meuser said this change has significant consequences — the value of their land, buildings, livestock, unharvested crops, and machinery can total millions of dollars, even though their actual income is much lower.
H.R. 1131 seeks to correct this issue by ensuring that farm and small business assets are not unfairly counted against families when determining federal financial aid eligibility.
“Students from farm and small business families should not be penalized when applying for student aid,” said Rep. Meuser. “These families work hard to keep their operations running, yet their non-liquid assets — like farmland and equipment — are unfairly counted against them in the aid process. This bipartisan bill corrects that inequity, ensuring that students from agricultural and small business backgrounds have the same opportunities to pursue higher education without being burdened by an unfair system.”
H.R. 1131 has been referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee for further consideration.
AG Sunday joins coalition urging Congress to pass legislation to bolster resources to fight organized retail crime
Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined a 38-state coalition of Attorneys General calling on Congress to take action to assist in fighting the trending scourge of organized retail crime.
In the letter, the coalition asks Congress to consider legislation that would provide more resources to local and state law enforcement and increase penalties for convicted supply chain thieves.
“Retail theft is not a victimless crime, as we have seen violence against employees and bystanders in numerous incidents nationwide,” AG Sunday said. “These large-scale thefts also drive up the price of goods for consumers and lead retailers to close stores. Many of these rings operate across local and state borders, so expanding the network of law enforcers and strengthening the supply of federal resources makes sense in combating this trending criminal conduct. These criminals are raking in large profits while putting consumers and communities at risk.”
Organized retail crime has contributed to financial losses totaling over $121 billion in the United States, and 76% of retail asset protection managers’ report their employees have suffered from violence at the hands of an organized retail criminal.
The Office of Pennsylvania Attorney General launched its Organized Retail Crime Unit last year, and already opened significant investigations and made impactful arrests and prosecutions — along with assisting neighboring agencies.
Earlier this month, the Organized Retail Crime Unit charged two people with stealing thousands of dollars worth of generators from a Monroe County Lowe’s — as part of a multi-state ring of generator thefts.