Rep. Charlie Meier Recalls The ‘Cupcake Bill’ That Began His Pro-Business Record

TROY – At the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce 40th anniversary celebration, State Representative Charlie Meier told the fascinating story behind the “cupcake bill,” the first one he introduced as a representative.

12 years ago in Troy, he said the Madison County Health Department stopped a then-12-year-old Chloe Stirling from giving homemade cupcakes to nursing home residents because they weren’t made “in an inspected kitchen, and people could die.”

“This is just crazy,” Meier said of the Health Department response. He then got to work crafting the “cupcake bill” in an effort to prevent such a shutdown from happening again.

“We got the bill written … we’re set to go in front of committee, and of course Chloe’s got her box of cupcakes there,” Meier said. The bill faced an uphill battle as it went through a series of hurdles in the House, with Meier adding that 95 health departments were against it.

“We had the vote, and they voted the bill down,” Meier said. “Chloe and her family [were] going home disappointed that we didn’t get the bill through the House.”

That’s when then-Governor Pat Quinn, looking for a Southern Illinois photo opportunity, heard Chloe’s story. Quinn asked that the bill be reconsidered and voted on again the same day. Chloe herself testified to both the House and Senate committees – and this time, the bill passed.

“They called Chloe and her parents, told them to turn around and bring her back up,” Meier said. “It passed, then it passed the Senate, and Gov. Quinn … came to Troy. Chloe’s sister had, in the front yard, a lemonade stand set up and said, ‘Buy a glass of lemonade – we can do it legally because of my sister and her cupcake bill.”

According to a June 2014 press release, the governor joined Chloe and her family at their home to sign the “cupcake bill” into law, making it easier for home kitchen businesses like Chloe’s to operate with less risk of a health department shutdown.

“The bill creates a new category of ‘home kitchen operators’ for those who make less than $1,000 from producing food in their own homes to sell either by themselves or for a religious, charitable or nonprofit organization,” the release states. “Home kitchen operators cannot be regulated or shut down by local governments or health departments unless there is a complaint or health safety issue.”

Chloe went on to earn second place on the pilot episode of “Cupcake Wars Kids” in 2015, according to her Collinsville Triad Maryville CEO program webpage. She was also gifted new appliances from the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro, during an appearance on Rachel Ray after the “cupcake bill” became law.

But as Meier points out, the new law didn’t just expand opportunities for Chloe.

“It’s opened up the whole cottage food industry in Illinois, so you have people bringing food into farmers markets – food fresh from the farm that somebody cooked, and you can buy it,” he said. “It’s a very growing industry and every time we do a different bill to make it better, I’m like, ‘It all started with Chloe in the city of Troy.’”

Meier, who represents Illinois’ 109th district, considers himself a “pro-business” representative. By consistently supporting agricultural and business legislation, he’s earned a 100% voting record with the Farm Bureau and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce for six years straight. More details about Meier and his record are available at charliemeier.net.

More information and insights from Meier are available in the full interview at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.