By Ashley Yarchin
St. Louis, MO (KSDK) - In front of millions Tuesday night, Tonight Show host Jay Leno took a jab at a move made by a Missouri state senator. NewsChannel 5 got her reaction and cut through the controversy surrounding the bill for new child labor laws.
"And in Missouri, Republican State Senator Jane Cunningham has introduced a bill that would eliminate her state's child labor laws," Jay Leno said in his opening monologue. "Well, yeah, why should the 10-year-olds in China be getting all the good factory jobs, huh?"
Well, when you put it that way, Senator Jane Cunningham said Wednesday said that makes sense.
"I think the main controversy is people don't realize what we're trying to do," said Cunningham, who represents the Seventh Congressional District in West St. Louis County. "It's one of those archaic laws that at one point in time we really needed."
Ten days ago, she introduced a bill that would modify Missouri's child labor laws, not-as Leno said-eliminate them. Among other things, it would get rid of the rule that prohibits the employment of children under 14, along with restrictions on the number of hours and what part of the day a child may work. Cunningham believes this is necessary because current law doesn't allow a child to even babysit without getting a work permit.
"I think what we're doing in this bill is making sure that those dangerous situations...that people used to fear are not gonna happen but at the same time giving the opportunity for children - with their parents' permission and direction - to be able to learn some good work skills," she said.
"Well, I started here when I was 15-and-a-half," said Bryan Dillon, who is one of Ted Drewes six grandchildren, who have all spent time behind the counter here as kids. "As I was working here, I think I got a good sense of work ethic, how to work hard and how to solve problems."
The reason the 28-year-old said he understands the bill and how it gives children a chance to learn on the job, like he did.
"Actually, I want to stay with the company now," Dillon said. "I've been a manager for the last couple of years and I enjoy working here."
The bill is still in the early stages and a hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Cunningham went on to say that this is all part of her efforts to clean up the books, as they did last year when state lawmakers elected to eliminate a law that prohibits folks in Missouri from using margarine over butter.
KSDK