Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares announced a reversal of a Herring-era social justice initiative that allowed over 1,000 deadbeat dads to avoid paying child support:
“Since taking office, I learned that the Division of Child Support Enforcement was requesting the dismissal of hundreds of child support show cause actions filed against parents who were not making their court-ordered payments, even in cases where the pattern of nonpayment was egregious,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “Judges and legislators rightly expressed concern to my office. The cases brought to my attention were overwhelmingly absentee parents trying to run from their financial responsibilities.”
“Having investigated the matter, I have instructed our attorneys that we will no longer request the dismissal of petitions against parents who are not paying child support, absent special circumstances. Children should never have to go without because the government is giving their parent a pass from responsibility. Parents subject to court orders will not be permitted to hide from their financial obligations to Virginia’s families,” said Attorney General Miyares.
Between October 2021 and the inauguration, former AG Mark Herring dismissed all show cause motions for delinquent child support payments as part of his woke social justice agenda — all of it calculated and all at the expense of working mothers and their children.
Miyares is ending that policy effective right now. From the press statement:
Discretion always lies with the Judge regarding special circumstances for individual child support cases. It is the Office of the Attorney General’s job to ensure that hearings are held, and to provide legal support to the client. The duty of the Office of the Attorney General is to enforce child support obligations in an efficient and timely manner.
Bottom line? Children should never have to go without because deadbeat parents refuse to live up to their responsibilities.
To date, Miyares continues to be a leading force for Virginia conservatives on this and many other issues, backing Governor Youngkin’s restoration project while piloting the shoals within the courts on questions from mask mandates to investigating Loudoun County public schools.
Best is yet to come.