WELFARE ROLLS GOING DOWN IN MISSOURI

The state of Missouri is among those states in compliance with the federal government's deadline for cutting welfare rolls.

Under the 1996 federal welfare-reform law, states as of Oct. 1 must have 25 percent of their total caseloads working in jobs, and 75 percent of two-parent families on welfare must be working a total of 37.5 hours a week between the parents. It is the first set of standards states are supposed to meet as the federal requirements are phased in. By 2002, states must have 90 percent of two-parent families -- and half of all families -- in work activities.

Missouri welfare rolls began a dramatic shrinkage three years ago, when the General Assembly passed a welfare reform law. In July 1994, Missouri had 91,000 families on welfare, compared with 66,724 families as of this July, or a nearly third fewer.

These are promising signs that we're moving in the right direction on welfare, ending the 60-year entitlement to the dole.