Columbia, SC (WLTX) - South Carolina taxpayers have been fined more than $100 million for breaking a federal law.
The state has missed deadline after deadline for 17 years to create a statewide computer system to collect child support, and still doesn't have one.
Heather McClain's case illustrates the problem. The Westminster woman worries about taking care of her 9-year-old son Dylan.
"My ex-husband is $11,000 behind in child support," she explains.
Her ex-husband moved to another county, and she had to track him down.
She had to find her ex herself because the state Department of Social Services' computers are not connected to the 46 county clerks of court, so it's hard to keep track of parents who owe money and move around.
South Carolina is supposed to have a statewide child support enforcement computer system that would make it faster and easier to keep track of parents who owe child support. It would also make it easier for the state to withhold pay, take tax returns. and connect DSS with all 46 counties and all the other states to track down parents who owe money. But South Carolina doesn't have that system that was required by federal law 17 years ago. Because of that delay, the state keeps racking up fines.
So why is South Carolina different?
"From what i can tell, in sitting down and going through the whole thing, it's the fact that they've changed hands so many times trying to get to this point," said Gov. Nikki Haley when asked.
Four different computer companies have worked on the system. The first walked away, and two others were bought by Hewlett-Packard. And Haley and DSS say that process has been the main reason we don't have a system. The state is currently in a court fight with Hewlett-Packard after the state fired the company for missing deadlines.
The state now plans to hire subcontractors to finish the system.
Hewlett-Packard and the original company the state hired have paid about half of the more than $104 million in fines against the state. Te next fine is expected to be about $8 million and will be due in September.
