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Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Withdrawn after Provision added to test Lawmakers

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After targeting welfare applicants by attempting to implement mandatory drug testing, a Democrat amended the measure to require drug testing for lawmakers. Rep. Jud McMillin (R-Brookville) quickly withdrew the bill.

But, he’ll be back with a provision.

Huffington Post reports:

The Supreme Court ruled drug testing for political candidates unconstitutional in 1997, striking down a Georgia law. McMillin said he withdrew his bill so he could reintroduce it on Monday with a lawmaker drug testing provision that would pass constitutional muster.

“I’ve only withdrawn it temporarily,” he told HuffPost, stressing he carefully crafted his original bill so that it could survive a legal challenge. Last year a federal judge, citing the Constitution’s ban on unreasonable search and seizure, struck down a Florida law that required blanket drug testing of everyone who applied for welfare.

These extreme measures which are applauded by Republicans have failed in the past. When Governor Rick Scott (Fla-R) decidedly implemented this measure, 98% of those tested passed which debunked almost all of the Republican rhetoric of welfare being largely for drug addicts. Again, only 2% of welfare applicants had drugs in their system.

By all means, keep spending money on nonsensical measures, after all, we have so much money to spend! What are Republican lawmakers smoking?

Image: WTSP

Read Huffpo’s article here.

Posted in Politics.

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8 comments

By Anomaly – January 27, 2012

  • Dcashless

    most employees or prospective employees pass these tests as well, however they are still required to submit them to get or keep their jobs. I also believe that the random test would reveal more indiscretions than the planned or prior notice type. I guess I feel like if it is good for one class of people it should be consistently applied throughout the entire population and the same consequences for all.

  • Marty Styles

    Yeah martial law coming soon!!! Beware….

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=667462931 Mike Stachewicz

    And for each recipient that passed, it cost the FL taxpayers anywhere between $50 – $100 to reimburse the recipient for the drug test s/he had to pay for.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Deborah-Kitzul/100001974408592 Deborah Kitzul

    I always thought that if the little people had to be drug tested, then so should the politicians. I worked for the state as a prison guard and I was tested randomly and always passed, could our congress critters say the same thing ?

  • http://www.facebook.com/koonat Davie Columbo

    Wow, 98% passed, and yet republicans STILL think this is a good idea.

    • Anomaly100

      Obviously it’s the lawmakers that are on drugs. You must admit, they act loaded.

  • Phil Perspective

    What are Republican lawmakers smoking?

    Spiked ‘shrooms?

    • http://freakoutnation.com/ Anomaly

      I thought perhaps they were meth heads.

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