You'd think deadbeat dads owing back child support should be sending their disposable income to the families they left behind. Instead, state data shows them rolling the dice in Colorado's mountain casinos. A new law takes away their cash prizes. Who we should thank depends on which press release you read.
Kids cash in; politicians do, too.mateoutah/Flickr
Under a 2007 state law which went into effect July 1, the jackpot winnings of those behind on their child support are intercepted, up to the total amount owed. According to Paula Brown, operations section chief at the Division of Child Support Enforcement, nearly $61,000 was recovered from 42 jackpots through July 31. Amounts recovered averaged around $1,400, with the largest single taking coming in at $4,115.
Casinos are required by federal law to collect information on anyone winning certain prizes over $1,200, which is then compared to a database maintained by the Colorado Department of Human Services. Brown says that list contains roughly 80% of the Department's over 140,000 open child support cases.
With this good news comes a dose of election year political spin. U.S. Congress hopeful state Sen. Steve Ward, R-Littleton, vyeing for the GOP nomination in the 6th congressional district, was quick to tout the data in a campaign press release. Ward says he "Won passage of this important bill over opposition from Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald," taking a swipe the Democrat leader who retired from the state Senate late last year to run for Congress herself.
Officials in the Bill Ritter administration were also quick to take credit for the program. "This is another fulfillment of Governor Ritter’s Colorado Promise," said CDHS executive director Karen L. Beye in a press release. "It’s about the kids getting the support they need." The department also heaped praise on Rep. Joel Judd, D-Denver, who it calls "the key architect of the legislation."
Whomever takes credit, this is good law that targets a serious problem. But it also proves it's all "for the children," especially in an election year.