California ‘Reparations Task Force’ Proposes Canceling Child Support Debt for Black Residents
The California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans has released a nearly 1,100-page report that includes a proposal to eliminate child support debt for black residents of the state.
“The Task Force recommends that the Legislature enact legislation to terminate all interest accrued on back child support, requiring only the payment of the principal owed. At a minimum, the proposal recommends that the Legislature eliminate the prospective accrual of interest on child support debt for low-income parents.”
The California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Final Report
According to a 2003 study cited by the Task Force, 27% of child support owed in California is unpaid interest. California currently charges a 10% interest on back child support, a rate 3.5 times higher than the national average.
Black residents make up only 7% of California’s population but represent nearly 18% of parents who owe child support debt. The task force argues that this result is due to “pathologizing African American Families” and discriminatory federal laws that have “torn African American families apart.”
“A disproportionate number of African American parents are saddled with crushing debt that hinders their ability to attend school or job training, maintain housing, and find employment if their professional licenses and/or driver’s licenses have been suspended because of the failure to pay child support debt.”
The California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Final Report
It’s an obvious point to make that the insurance charged on unpaid child support is a penalty for parents that neglect their children. By removing this, and eliminating child support debt as a whole, the state would be removing the punishments for irresponsible parents. Canceling child support debt removes the accountability and responsibilities that American culture desperately needs. It’s a reward for bad behavior.
The task force, created by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020, was established to “study and develop reparation proposals” for black residents of California. The task force previously called for mandatory “anti-bias training” for medical school students across the state to become a graduation requirement.
