Senator Rupp: Child Care Center Licensing

(State Sen. Scott Rupp, R-, publishes a weekly newsletter. The opinions expressed in the column are those of Sen. Rupp and do not reflect the views of the Wentzville Patch. —Ed.)

2012 Legislative Session Concludes

As of 6 p.m. today, the 2012 legislative session is now complete, and several bills are on their way to the governor’s desk. I’m proud of the hard work that members of the Senate have accomplished this year. Allow me to share with you some important measures that, if signed by the governor, will become law in our state.

Protecting Young Ones in Child Care Centers

Ensuring that children are safe while in the hands of others has been at the forefront of my agenda during this year’s session. To that end, HB 1323, which I handled in the Senate, passed the Legislature today.  HB 1323 includes important provisions that are incorporated in my sponsored SB 448, which aims to protect the well-being of children in day care centers. We’ve heard numerous cases where children have died in unlicensed day care centers, and this must be stopped.

A provision in SB 448 that is found in HB 1323 is Sam Pratt’s Law, which states that in any case involving the abuse, neglect, or death of a child, any judge may prohibit a defendant, as a condition of his or her release, from providing child care services for compensation, pending final disposition of the case.

Another provision in HB 1323 states that any child care facility that isn’t exempt from licensure would be required to let parents and guardians know of its licensure status. This would allow parents and guardians to be in the driver’s seat regarding their kids’ safety, and they can make an informed decision that would be best for their family.

Furthermore, the bill would increase the penalty for violations of child care licensure provisions to include a fine of up to $200 per day, not to exceed a total of $10,000 for subsequent offenses.

By sending HB 1323 to the governor, Missouri families are one step closer to feeling more secure about their children’s health, happiness, and safety. As parents, we couldn’t wish for anything more than to see our children grow up and become productive citizens.

Economic Development in Missouri

Throughout this session, creating a healthy climate for business and job growth has also been one of my priorities. To help achieve this goal of making Missouri a more attractive place to work, workers’ compensation had to be addressed. House Bill 1540 states that co-employees would be released from all liability for workplace injuries or death for which compensation is recoverable under the workers' compensation statutes. However, the employee would not escape liability when he or she engages in an affirmative negligent act that purposefully and dangerously caused or increased the risk of injury. This bill would help Missouri businesses to invest their hard-earned money in expanding their production and hire more workers, instead of wasting money on insurance to cover needless lawsuits.

Protecting Missourians’ Liberties

As a co-sponsor of the bill and a Missourian who is proud to stand up for our liberties, I’m glad to see SB 464 on its way to the governor. The act would prohibit the establishment, creation, or operation of a state-based health insurance exchange, unless the exchange is created by a legislative act, an initiative petition, or referendum. The act would specifically prohibit the establishment of a state-based health insurance exchange by an executive order issued by the governor.

In August 2010, 71 percent of Missourians who voted at the polls stated that they don’t want to be forced to buy health insurance against their will. We need to protect our state sovereignty and prevent the government from stepping on our freedoms. As President Ronald Reagan once said, “Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.”

These are just a few quality bills that have received the Senate’s final stamp of approval. In the following weeks, I’ll continue to report on the status of measures as they make their way to the governor. You can also view a complete list of Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed measures by visiting the Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov.