Bill Would Allow Missing Child Investigators To Tap Tax Returns

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A bill offered by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar would allow investigators looking for missing children to have access to the tax returns of possible abductors.

U.S. Treasury officials examined 1,700 cases of missing children and found more than a third of those children were declared on the tax returns by relatives suspected of abducting them.

Klobuchar, former Hennepin County attorney, says it defies logic that one branch of government would have information about the addresses of missing children, but law enforcement officials can't use it.

Missing children's advocate Patty Wetterling of St. Joseph testified in support of the bill Wednesday in Washington. Wetterling says parents of missing children don't care about the jurisdictional boundaries, they just want their kids back.

Opponents are concerned about eroding the wall between the nation's tax collector and law enforcement.