NW Illinois News

State Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) is accusing Democratic lawmakers of going to any lengths to push forward a bill that would make free tampons available in boys’ bathrooms in public schools.

“We are getting way outside the logical lines of science,” Chesney said in a video posted to YouTube expressing his opposition to the measure. “There’s only two genders: males and females. There have been male and female bathrooms for 100 years plus in this country, and nobody has had a problem taking care of the sensitive nature of being of a certain gender, but to perhaps put female products in male bathrooms is not only confusing to a sixth grader, but completely inapplicable.”

At its core, House Bill 0156 seeks to immediately amend the School Code to establish that a school district shall make menstrual (rather than feminine) hygiene products available, at no cost to the student, in each bathroom of every school building.

“As a male who did go to a public high school, as a male who went to bathrooms from sixth grade to 12th grade, I can promise you not one of my male friends ever needed these and I would really appreciate if the sponsor would stay the hell out of my bathrooms and I promise her I will stay out of hers,” Chesney added.  

Chesney is now leading the charge among GOP lawmakers in calling for sweeping changes in Springfield, including the implementation of the Republicans' Reimagine Illinois plan that calls for major policy reforms and less government.

After the November election, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Burr Ridge) convened a panel that includes Chesney and his fellow members of the Illinois House Republican Caucus to work together to chart a more promising future for the state with the Reimagine Illinois plan emerging as the answer from those discussions.

"In the same way the Contract with America helped Congressional Republicans communicate a leading vision of conservative values in 1994, the Reimagine Illinois platform makes it clear the Illinois House Republicans will not simply be the party of “no,” but rather we are turning words into action with over 80 plus meaningful reform bills proposed this session, Chesney said in a statement.

The platform will seek reform focused on four points: ending the culture of corruption, responsible fiscal leadership, growing jobs and opportunities for families, and ensuring public safety.

According to research by the University of Illinois-Chicago, Illinois is the second-most corrupt state in the nation, with the state losing upwards of $550 million annually from corruption.