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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Lawmakers weigh in on child support enforcement mess, from ‘safe haven for deadbeat dads’ to ‘we can afford non-compliance’

An array of state lawmakers involved in the 9-8 vote to table critical child support enforcement legislation on the final day of this year’s legislative session have now sent out guest opinion pieces, following the first from Rep. Lynn Luker of Boise. Here are the latest:

Rep. John McCrostie, D-Boise, a teacher and law student, wrote, “Lack of compliance actually makes Idaho a safe haven for deadbeat parents.” You can read his full piece here, which is headed, “Idaho Kids Deserve Access to Child Support.”

Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, an attorney, wrote, “This erratic vote was a slap in the face to Idaho’s children, and was an extremely irresponsible example of governance.” You can read Malek’s full piece here; it’s entitled, “Grandstanding at the Expense of the Vulnerable.”

Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, an attorney, wrote, “The rejection of international reciprocal child support legislation by an Idaho House committee disrupts our child support system and will hurt families and children. Idaho legislators who resent federal government threats should talk to their members of Congress.” You can read Gannon’s full piece here, which is headed, “Idaho legislators’ mistakes in rejecting child support measure are beyond debate.”

Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, an economics professor, writes, “Yes, the feds threatened to pull the money, $46 million. However, those threats are rarely enforced; no states have lost funding. Fortunately, Idaho’s revenue is $88 million dollars ahead this year — we can afford noncompliance. But we cannot afford to sell off our sovereignty at every threat.” You can read Nate’s full piece here, entitled, “Idaho needn’t bow to feds on child support matter.”

Rep. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, an educator and former women’s center director, wrote, “My colleagues are putting their own ideology ahead of the needs of Idaho citizens, and they are holding all of us hostage to their narrow beliefs.” You can read Wintrow’s full piece here, entitled, “GOP Child Support Decision Leaves Idaho Taxpayers to Pay the Costs.”

Also today, S-R columnist Shawn Vestal weighs in on the issue; you can read his full column here. Vestal writes, “Give credit to the Idaho Nine. They were accidentally right about one thing: A group of extremists is threatening the state’s security and future. It’s them.” His column is headed, “Imaginary crisis averted, Idaho’s real kids suffer.”



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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