By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – The Missouri attorney general says he is suing nine businesses in St. Louis and surrounding counties for not deducting unpaid child support from employees' wages.
The lawsuits are part of a statewide effort to enforce child support orders. The Missouri Legislature recently shifted that responsibility from the Department of Social Services to the attorney general.
Nixon says he's trying to collect more than $127,000 in payments from around the state.
"No child in Missouri should be deprived of necessities because an employer willfully ignores an order to withhold child support," Nixon said. "If that does happen, we're going to go after that business to recover that money that should be going to those children."
Joe Derhake, the owner of a Pagedale transmission shop that is being sued, says the state should make it easier for business to comply with garnishment orders.