Fathers and Families of Ohio Governing Council Member Rick Bell appeared on WCPO TV in Cincinnati yesterday discussing SB 292, a bill which would raise child support levels in Ohio. To watch the video of Bell, click here.
From WCPO’s Child support payments could rise under bill before Ohio Senate (11/16/10):
Rick Bell now pays about 40 percent of his after-tax income to support the well being of his 4-year-old son.
“It is a steep figure, but more importantly, I”m a loving father and I want to be part of my son”s life,’ the East Walnut Hills father said Tuesday.
However, those payments could potentially consume up to 50 percent of his earnings if Ohio Senate Bill 292 becomes law.
That legislation, co-sponsored by Ohio State Senator Bill Seitz of Hamilton County, is currently working its way through the Ohio General Assembly in Columbus.
One of the main features of the bill is readjusting the Child Support Calculation Worksheet for the first time since 1992.
Bell, who works for a technology company and is a member of Fathers & Families of Ohio, said that could increase his child support payments anywhere from 10 to 15 percent across the board.
“Obviously, in this economic climate that”s not very good,’ he said.
Fathers & Families Chairman Donald Hubin said he rejects the notion that the increases are needed to adjust for inflation.
“The effects of inflation are ultimately captured in wage increases and Ohio”s Basic Child Support table is income-based – the more you earn, the more you pay,’ he said. “This bill goes beyond a mere inflation adjustment, as it also raises the amount of the obligation relative to income.’
Hubin said federal data shows that two-thirds of parents, who are behind on child support payments nationwide, earn poverty level wages and less than four percent of the national child support debt is owed by those earning $40,000 or more a year.
“SB 292 exacerbates the already tenuous position held by non-custodial parents and would create more ‘dead broke” parents who are driven underground and then ultimately pay less, not more,’ Hubin stated.
To participate in our campaign to stop SB 292, please click here.