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Though it has been standard practice in the past, Michigan state legislators recently advanced a bill that would give the power of law to enforcement of one particular welfare abuse safeguard. According to a recent Associated Press report, state senators – led by Republicans – passed the measure Tuesday by a 26 to 12 margin.
The crux of the bill includes a provision that would bar families from receiving welfare checks should a child in said family rack up an inordinate number of unexcused absences at school. Though the legislation as written would only affect minors age 16 and up who are also enrolled in the state’s welfare program, many Democrats opposed the measure as one that punishes families for the behavior of one child.
Among the general population, however, there seems to be wide support for this and other efforts to rein in runaway welfare spending.
“It’s the parents’ responsibility to make sure their child(ren) attend school,” one WDIV reader asserted. “Period. If you can’t even do that, then you really shouldn’t have kids. And you especially shouldn’t be paid for having them.”
Another saw an inherent problem with the bill’s mandate, however.
“Great,” the reader wrote. “Now they have to be in a school where the teachers are either on strike or not there at all and the school system is bankrupt.”
As Western Journalism reported late last year, Michigan Republicans previously worked to advance a policy that would force welfare recipients to pass a drug test in order to remain in the program. Gov. Rick Snyder approved a pilot program designed to determine how effective such testing would be in reducing welfare fraud.
Like other states across the nation, Michigan has been forced to deal with a growing number of welfare recipients in recent years. One report released last December indicates the number of Michiganders receiving food stamps is more than 115,000 greater than those enrolled in elementary and secondary school combined.
Do you support welfare reform? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
This post originally appeared on Western Journalism – Equipping You With The Truth