Similar legislation has gone through House committees in the past months. The House Professional Registration and Licensing Committee conducted a hearing on a bill known as Nathan's Law, which called for the same restrictions on unlicensed child care providers. Rep Jill Schupp, D-St. Louis County, sponsored this bill and brought forth Nathan's mother, Shelley Blecha, to testify in favor of the bill.
Democratic Representative Jill Schupp of Saint Louis County sponsored one piece of legislation which would give voting rights to a student board member.
The bill sponsored by Democratic Representative Jill Schupp would limit the amount of children a provider could care for and increase fines for providers who broke the law.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Jill Schupp, D-St. Louis County, first called Shelley Blecha to testify in favor of the bill. The bill is named Nathan's Law in memory of Blecha's son, who died in the hands of an unlicensed child care provider. Blecha cried while telling the committee and audience the story of what happened to her son.
Following adjournment, seven female House members, calling themselves "the silent seven," held a news conference on the Capitol steps. Democratic members of the group include Jill Schupp, Margo McNeil, Jeanne Kirkton, Stacey Newman and Susan Carlson representing St. Louis, Mary Still of Columbia and Independent Tracy McCreery also representing St. Louis. The representatives expressed anger by the lack of recognition during the debate, in which they said they believed they have more at ..
Rep. Jill Schupp, D-St. Louis, sponsored one of the bills, which stated that one of the nine curators may be a student, who would have full voting rights.
Rep. Jill Schupp, D-St. Louis, sponsored one of the bills, which stated that one of the nine curators may be a student, who would have full voting rights.