Governor Addressing Shortage Of Truck Drivers

[Sherman A1]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gov. Mike Parson is considering changes to Missouri regulations to help address a shortage of long-haul truck drivers.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports one possibility is changing a law that takes away driver's licenses or occupational licenses from people who haven't paid child support for three months.

Parson said with an increasing shortage of truckers, the state should find another way to punish those who don't pay child support, although he offered no specific alternatives.

Parson also said he would like to give state prison inmates a chance to learn truck driving so they could help fill the driver shortage when they leave prison.

https://www.ktts.com/news/local-news/governor-addressing-shortage-of-truck-drivers

Interesting, with regard to the taking of licenses from those who fail to pay child support, I would think it more logical to simply garnish their wages than to take away the means of generating income to pay the child support.

[lark]

1. Yeah that law seems counterproductive,

I think garnishing their wages would be a win-win, but will they just stop this law but put in nothing else. This country is rapidly hurting women and families every which way they can and it's disgusting and needs to stop.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. This isn't going to help. There is, however, a very simple, very effective fix available...

Increase the pay significantly and then you might see a difference. Simple.

This is thankless job, and I have several friends that do this type of job. Especially since some places also make the drivers unload / load the trucks, etc. Even worse.

This has been a long term problem that simply people don't want to be long haul truck drivers (lots of hours sitting on your petard).

Added later: there are estimates that millions of drivers (for trucking) are needed too...this proposal by the MO governor is laughable.

[procon]

3. Those draconian laws aren't designed to correct the problem of

unpaid child support. It's a biblical punishment, and eye for an eye, if the kids are doing without that money then the state steps in as the high priest and applies the same penance to their father/mother. In the process the taxpayers get fleeced thrice, to pay for court costs and incarceration, and again to pay for supporting the children, and the loss of income tax revenue, all so the politicians can boast about their record of locking up criminals.

Nothing is resolved. Economically this makes no sense and no one benefits by these shortsighted laws that were handed down from Church courts to cloud Civil Law with an outdated system of punishment for the sake of retribution rather than scientific advances on what's effective. The state would save more money by working with NGO partners to find productive solutions that keeps the person working and money flowing.

Sentencing and prison reforms are long overdue.