Child-support payments increase by 27 percent.(Local News)

Byline: STAFF AND WIRE

SANTA FE -- The state collected more child-support payments last month, and the Human Services Department credited a get-tough approach that revoked the driver's licenses of thousands of parents who owed money.

The department received nearly $3 million in court-ordered child-support payments during December, an increase of $629,520, or 27 percent, over November.

Almost half the increase came from lump-sum payments by 325 people who came forward with the money after losing their driver's licenses. Those people also agreed to pay $6,800 a month to continue to meet their child-support obligations.

Last month, the state …