‘Dead-beat’ parents bill in Madison has little support

Proposal would withhold food aid to those late with child support.

More groups are opposed to a new plan to deal with “dead-beat” parents in Wisconsin than those that support it.

Wisconsin Family Action is the sole group that’s registered in support of the plan to withhold food aid from those who are late on their child support payments.

Julaine Appling with the group, told a committee in Madison on Tuesday that the proposal is exactly the message the state should be sending.

“Gov. (Scott) Walker has talked about benefits being a trampoline, not a hammock,” Appling said. “And, personally, that’s one of the best statements I’ve heard about how we should be viewing public benefits.”

The new proposal would also deny Food Share benefits from parents who refuse to acknowledge paternity.

Critics say the measure will drive non-custodial parents further from their responsibilities. Appling says the opposite.

“We have situations now,” she said, “coming into play in our society, especially in the inner cities, kids don’t even know who their parents are – who their biological parents are. We know that’s the case.”

Appling believes this will only help parents in the long run.

“When we keep giving them benefits,” Appling said, “and letting them off the hook, if you will, for not taking personal responsibility, in particular, parenting children and being involved in their children’s life, what we really do is reinforce the cycle of poverty.”

Several groups oppose the bill, calling it unnecessarily punitive. 

“In my opinion, this is not a punitive bill,” Appling said. “In my opinion, this is about helping people recognize responsibility and treating public benefits as exactly what they are – public benefits.”