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Attorney general candidate proposes state toy safety law
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By Bob Watson
bwatson@newstribune.com
Because the federal government's policies are weak, Missouri should pass its own law protecting children from unsafe toys, state Rep. Margaret Donnelly told reporters Wednesday.
“We've been bombarded with recalls of children's toys, and products which our children use daily,” the Clayton Democrat said at a Capitol news conference. “There have been more than 100 recalls of children's products this year alone - and the number is growing. ...
“Ideally, the federal government should be acting (but), if the federal government is going to keep a restricted role in enforcement, then I don't think the states have any choice but to step up and do the job.”
Donnelly has introduced a bill creating a state toy safety law.
The Missouri attorney general's office would be “empower(ed) to investigate and prosecute violations, and notify the public of safety recalls,” said Donnelly, who is one of three Democrats running for the attorney general's office next year, as incumbent Jay Nixon runs for the governor's office.
Her proposal would require retailers to remove a recalled product within three days of that item's being listed as recalled.
Manufacturers and distributors would have five days to get the recalled items from the retailers. Fines for violating the law could be as much as $500 a day.
“It's a common-sense solution to a very real problem,” Donnelly said. “Many consumers aren't aware that product recalls - even when they're done at the federal level - are voluntary.
“Stores are not legally required to remove the hazardous items from their shelves, so children are left at risk.”
Donnelly's Wednesday afternoon news conference included a display of several recalled children's toys - some for having lead-based paint, one for having a small magnet that a child could swallow and another for having metal pins used as door hinges that could be removed and swallowed.
She said one package of toy cars had been purchased at a Jefferson City store a week after its manufacturer had recalled it for having lead-based paint.
She said her bill was modeled on an Illinois law and written with the help of a national, product-safety advocacy group called “Kids In Danger.”
Donnelly has several Republican co-signers for her bill, and urged lawmakers to pass it without regard to her attorney general's candidacy.
“No matter who's the attorney general, this bill needs to happen,” she told reporters.
“We've been bombarded with recalls of children's toys, and products which our children use daily,” the Clayton Democrat said at a Capitol news conference. “There have been more than 100 recalls of children's products this year alone - and the number is growing. ...
“Ideally, the federal government should be acting (but), if the federal government is going to keep a restricted role in enforcement, then I don't think the states have any choice but to step up and do the job.”
Donnelly has introduced a bill creating a state toy safety law.
The Missouri attorney general's office would be “empower(ed) to investigate and prosecute violations, and notify the public of safety recalls,” said Donnelly, who is one of three Democrats running for the attorney general's office next year, as incumbent Jay Nixon runs for the governor's office.
Her proposal would require retailers to remove a recalled product within three days of that item's being listed as recalled.
Manufacturers and distributors would have five days to get the recalled items from the retailers. Fines for violating the law could be as much as $500 a day.
“It's a common-sense solution to a very real problem,” Donnelly said. “Many consumers aren't aware that product recalls - even when they're done at the federal level - are voluntary.
“Stores are not legally required to remove the hazardous items from their shelves, so children are left at risk.”
Donnelly's Wednesday afternoon news conference included a display of several recalled children's toys - some for having lead-based paint, one for having a small magnet that a child could swallow and another for having metal pins used as door hinges that could be removed and swallowed.
She said one package of toy cars had been purchased at a Jefferson City store a week after its manufacturer had recalled it for having lead-based paint.
She said her bill was modeled on an Illinois law and written with the help of a national, product-safety advocacy group called “Kids In Danger.”
Donnelly has several Republican co-signers for her bill, and urged lawmakers to pass it without regard to her attorney general's candidacy.
“No matter who's the attorney general, this bill needs to happen,” she told reporters.
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