Fury is mounting in Maryland as a deepening budget crisis grips the state - yet Democrat lawmakers are pressing ahead with a controversial plan to roll out tampons in men's bathrooms at taxpayers' expense.
Critics say the move shows just how out of touch officials have become, as warnings grow over a looming deficit expected to hit around $1.5 billion next year.
Maryland Republican firebrand Kathy Szeliga has blasted Democrats in Annapolis for focusing on 'nonsense' instead of tackling the state's worsening finances.
The Baltimore County delegate took to the House floor to demand answers over House Bill 941, which would require tampons to be stocked in men's bathrooms across state-owned buildings.
Szeliga zeroed in on whether major state venues - including the homes of major sports teams the Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles - could be swept up in the sweeping proposal.
And in a moment that raised eyebrows, she also took aim at wording in the bill that calls for 'appropriately sized tampons' to be placed in all public restrooms.
'What are appropriately sized tampons?' Szeliga asked, as certain members of the House snickered. 'I've never heard of such a thing. What do you consider appropriate?'
Szeliga pointed out it isn't the first time Maryland Democrats have floated placing tampons in men's bathrooms, raising doubts about whether the measure reflects genuine local priorities - or an agenda driven from outside the state.
'There seems to be an obsession with feminine hygiene products in Maryland, in Annapolis, in the legislature,' Szeliga said.
It must be coming from some national movement, but they have tried in the past to make sure that there was adequate, as they would say, or, you know, feminine hygiene products, but this is now taking it to a whole new level.'
Szeliga said a previous version of the proposal targeted colleges and universities but was narrowed by Republicans to apply only to campus health centers - something she noted was already standard practice.
She warned the new bill goes much further, extending to all public buildings - including major venues like M&T Bank Stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport - meaning men's restrooms in those locations could also be affected.
'The fiscal note on the bill said 'undetermined' because there are so many state-owned public buildings,' the GOP Maryland lawmaker said. 'And they wanted it to be paid for by taxpayers.'
Szeliga lamented that while Democrats were prioritizing putting tampons in men's bathrooms at an unknown cost to taxpayers, little has been done to rein in the state's 'massive' budget deficit.
The bill has sparked backlash online, with people labeling the move 'delusional' and 'a disgrace'.
'This is where your tax dollars and priorities are going, folks. Clown world,' one account wrote on X.
Meanwhile, as Szeliga alluded to, Maryland's budget is nearing crisis mode.
While the state's budget is currently slightly in surplus, meaning it's bringing in a bit more than it's spending, officials are facing a significant projected deficit of around $1.5 billion in the next fiscal year.
The bigger concern is long-term: analysts warn of ongoing structural deficits in future years, meaning Maryland may continue to face budget gaps unless it raises revenue or reduces spending.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources projected that the upfront costs for the tampon bill would be about $400,000.
The bill - backed by more than a dozen Democratic delegates - was introduced on February 5 and has yet to pass either chamber of the state legislature.