Economic Study Committee
Georgia Commission on Child Support
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Meeting Minutes

Commissioners Present:

Dr. Roger Tutterow, Chair
Ryan Bradley
Jill Massey
Jamie Rush
Judge John Worcester (phone)

Staff:

Elaine Johnson,
Aimee Maxwell,
Latoinna Lawrence

Guests Present:

Byron Cuthbert,
Tamia Anthony,
Jason Naunas,
David James (phone),
Wayne Slear (phone)

I. Welcome and Introductions

Elaine Johnson conducted the welcomes and introductions, at the request of the Chair, Dr.  Roger Tutterow, who was temporarily delayed in his arrival to the meeting.  Attendance was taken by roll call.  Dr. Tutterow arrived and called to order the meeting of the Economic Study Committee at 1:15 p.m.  The Economic Study Committee consists of six members and five were in attendance for this meeting, which constituted a quorum for voting.

II. Report of Minutes

The previous meeting of the committee occurred four years prior in conjunction with the 2014 economic study.  As a result, there were no previous meeting minutes for review.

III. Public Comments on Child Support Guidelines and 2018 Economic Study

a. Roger Tutterow – There were two ways in which we solicited and received public input. One was through an online portal, and the second was on November 1, 2018, when the Committee held an in-person public hearing at the Georgia Public Broadcasting Studio.  In both instances, the Committee received input from the public that will be useful going forward.

b. Per the content of the comments, there are four areas that Dr. Tutterow and the Committee want to recommend to the Commission for further study, and those are, the Parenting Time Deviation, the Low Income Deviation, Modification, and Shared Parenting. These will be recommended to the Commission at the November 16, 2018 meeting.  Tutterow asked the Committee if there were any further recommendations, and there were none.  Jill Massey commented that she agrees that a parenting time formula needs to be built into the statute and worksheet.  Jill is also happy to share documents from Kentucky’s two-page Child Support worksheets with us.

 IV. 2018 Economic Study Report

a. Roger Tutterow – The Economic Study Report was posted online weeks ago allowing access for individuals who wished to review and comment. The report provides general discussion of the underlying data sources, as well as descriptions on factors of the Georgia economy.  The Commission has the option to review those decisions when considering periodic adjustments to the guidelines basic child support obligation table.

b. The Committee members had no further questions or comments regarding the report. A motion was made to approve the Economic Study Report and to forward the report to the Child Support Commission for final approval.  The motion, seconded, was unanimously approved.

V. Commission Final report 2018

a. Elaine Johnson – Preparation and Contents of Commission Final Report.

(The three prior reports, from 2006, 2010, and 2014, issued by the Commission were passed around for viewing.)

The 2006 report (which was the first year an Economic Study performed) developed the tables.  The preparation and contents of the 2018 report will include a summary of work of the Commission and staff for the past four years, including training conducted by staff on the guidelines and Child Support Calculator.  The summary will be signed by Judge Michael Key, Commission Chair and Aimee Maxwell Staff Attorney.  The contents will include a copy of the child support guidelines statute, the Child Support Obligation Table, the Case Sampling Data, and the 2018 Economic Report from Dr. Jane Venohr.

b. Distribution

A final draft copy of the full report will be ready for the November 16, 2018 meeting of the full Commission for review.  Once the full report is approved by the members of the Commission, including obtaining signatures, staff will complete the final version.  The full report will be made available to the following entities: the Governor of Georgia (January, 2019), both houses of the Georgia General Assembly (January, 2019), the Georgia Division of Child Support Services (who will provide a copy to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement), and the Georgia Attorney General’s Office.  A copy will also be made available for public access on the Commission website at http://csc.georgiacourts.gov/.

VI. Report to Commission on 2018 Economic Study

Dr. Tutterow advised the Committee that the Economic Study Report will be presented to the Commission at the next scheduled meeting on Friday, November 16, 2018, at the State Bar of Georgia, for final approval.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:44 p.m.