
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, October 31, 1994                   TAG: 9410310014
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TODAY'S TOPIC: CHILD SUPPORT

What do the candidates propose to do to collect the billions of dollars owed to the children of deadbeat fathers in Virginia and in the country?

- Anna McClenahan, Roanoke

COLEMAN: "I support tough child support legislation, bit I believe it should remain at the state level rather than imposing a single federal law on all 50 states. The federal government can help, though, by cooperating in establishing national databases that help locate child support deadbeats who cross state lines."

NORTH: "I support a welfare reform program which would wipe the term "deadbeat dad" from our vocabulary by insisting that individuals meet their parental responsibilities and able-bodied people will work. The state and federal government should work in a partnership in this area. A number of states have initiated programs to collect such amounts (e.g. Maine, Mississippi) and we should examine the ones that are working most effectively."

ROBB: "I have been a consistent supporter of legislation requiring parents to accept responsibility for their children. In the Senate, I've worked to improve interstate enforcement of child support and parentage court orders. In 1992, I co-sponsored legislation, which has been signed into law, that imposes a criminal penalty for intentionally avoiding payment of child support by fleeing the state. This year, I voted to enact specific enforcement measures designed to increase the accountability of delinquent parents."

by CNB