Plan for deadbeat dads nixed

Benjamin Grove

Thursday, March 30, 2000 | 11:18 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Clinton has dropped his proposal to make casinos responsible for holding the winnings of deadbeat parents, White House officials have confirmed.

Clinton had pitched the proposal as part of his budget for next fiscal year, but the item has disappeared from the president's plans.

White House officials this week informed Nevada's congressional members that Clinton would not pursue the issue this year. Nevada's members, who lobbied against it, took credit for killing a proposal unpopular with gaming industry leaders.

The announcement comes on the eve of Clinton's fund-raising visit to Las Vegas on Sunday. The president hopes to raise at least $400,000 for the Democratic Party. Much of the money will come from gaming interests.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said Clinton "knows what is important to Nevada and understands the casino industry."

"I talked to administration officials during the last couple of months and explained how detrimental this proposal was and how difficult it would be to implement," Berkley said. "You're singling out one industry to become the arm of the courts in enforcing deadbeat dad decrees."

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., also wrote Clinton a letter and a Clinton aide responded in a Feb. 10 letter, "I have shared your concerns with the president and his other advisers, and you will receive a response in the near future." Gibbons also chatted with House Budget Chairman John Kasich, R-Ohio, and member Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., arguing against the proposal.

"I think it's good news for Nevada that the president has done this," Gibbons said. "It puts our No. 1 industry at an unfair disadvantage that other businesses are not subjected to."

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said, "I give them (Clinton officials) credit, after listening to our arguments, they reversed their position."

Clinton's plan sought to make casinos responsible for running financial checks on winners of more than $1,200 to identify parents who had not paid child support. Casinos then would withhold the winnings.

The plan would net $348 million over five years, Clinton officials had estimated.

Among Nevada's delegation, only Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., showed the plan much support, but he had agreed it could prove difficult to implement.

Clinton may have lost interest in the plan partly because the logistical details of collecting money at Indian casinos may have been too difficult, Reid spokesman Mark Schuermann said.

Reid argued that it was not fair to exempt Indian casinos from the plan and not others, Schuermann said.