Hello everyone. My name is Brett Harper. I'm 36, disabled, and haven't ever had my driver's license because when I was 19 I had a baby boy, Tristan, who I never get to see because his mom has estranged me and refused to do any mediation or anything so now I have to go to court to see my son. Like so many dads I don't have anything on my criminal record that says I shouldn't be able to see my son and I've never put him in danger or any child for that matter. However I have CPTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, anxiety, night terrors every night, and have had to have two back surgeries. People gaslit me and broke me down and convinced me I wasn't well enough to be in the kids early life and his mom lied to me about being able to visit. I shouldn't have listened but here we are! No driver license and I have to take her to court just for visitation of my kid. 

Here's the problem with suspending people's driver's license when they owe back support. For one it is an Oregon thing not a federal thing. It is up to the state of Oregon to appeal that law and provide exceptions for people with disabilities. It is up to the state of Oregon and its people to see that non citizens can get a license so why can't a dad drive to work? How is it fair to treat fathers worse than non citizens and those here who choose not to follow the process to become a citizen or even try? That isn't fair! That is a horrible way to treat your citizens! 

What purpose does suspending a driver license of a father even serve?! So many jobs are driver based now. The state is shooting itself in the foot by not allowing these fathers to do those jobs and pay their support! I've talked to half a dozen people in the last year that didn't drive for over ten years because they couldn't keep up on child support, which btw, isn't as easy as people like to make it sound. I've had times where half my paychecks went to child support and I couldn't even afford rent!

Does taking the driver's license help the father see his kid and be in the kids life or get in the way of that? It gets in the way! That's not ok! That hurts the kid! This must be rethought because it is really messing with people's lives. There has to be a better way. Join me in demanding this archaic and backwards law is abolished! Let's cut our dads some slack and help them pay their support and be in their kid's lives instead of making it even harder for them!