Posted on 05/06/2011 12:53:13 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
TALLAHASSEE -- Applying for welfare benefits in Florida? Soon you’ll need to get drug tested.
A measure requiring the tests passed the Senate on Thursday and is headed to Gov. Rick Scott, who called it one of his legislative priorities.
“It’s fair to taxpayers,” Scott said after the vote. “They’re paying the bill. And they’re often drug screened for their jobs. On top of that, it’s good for families. It creates another reason why people will think again before using drugs, which as you know is just a significant issue in our state.”
Scott already signed an executive order requiring random drug testing of state workers.
HB 353 requires all adult recipients of federal cash benefits — the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program — to pay for the tests, which are typically around $35. The screen would be for all controlled substances and applicants would have to disclose any legal prescriptions.
Recipients who test positive for drugs would lose their benefits for a year. If they fail a second time, they lose the benefits for three years. Parents who test positive must designate another adult to receive benefits on behalf of their children.
Those who pass would be reimbursed by having their benefits increased by the cost of the test.
“This is an effort to stop this cycle of drug abuse,” said Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville, one of the sponsors, who added the requirement was similar to one that many employers make of workers.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Horse pucky....
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
Taking a drug test qualifies you to continue to receive benefits for your children. In no way or fashion is it unreasonable.
That same welfare queen would probaly take a drug test when and if she ever got off her ass to find a job
Thank you for your report. It deserves to be a separate article.
There is an implied consent in driving and traveling by air - in exchange for allowing me to drive, I will consent to sobriety checkpoints or giving a breathalyzer if stopped for speeding. In exchange for allowing me to travel by air, I consent to allowing my person and luggage to be searched.
This law legislates an implied consent into welfare payments. In exchange for receiving welfare, the recipients agree to be periodically tested for drugs.
Search with the consent of the owner can reveal evidence admissible in court.
welfare is voluntary, if you don’t want to get searched then you do not have to take welfare.
What about company’s that demand:
1. Drug test
2. Criminal background check
3. Credit report
Just to get hired and receive “payment”? What is the difference? If you want to be paid (by we, the taxpayer’s), you have to play by the rules. If these druggies have children, they should be placed in loving homes where they have a chance of a normal life. The drug abusers themselves should be given the chance of treatment. Treatment, not jail. The system that is currently in place is not helping these people, but perpetuating the problem - the Federal Government has become the ultimate enabler.
Welcome to the plantation...
The rich white woman at the desk is representative of the new slave holder. What a scam. Horrendous, really - what a sick world we live in.
No, but if you “want” to gather welfare, then you must meet the Government’s requirements, such as “earn under X amount of money” or “be drug free”. Now they can search your tax records to see how much money you earn as their enforcement of the first requirement just as they can search your urine to see if you are drug free as their enforcement of the second requirement.
I have dealings with the state welfare handout office and see all kinds of real “winners” every day.
The bling, piercings, and tattoos are at times overwhelming for me to be around and I don’t interact with the clientele. The wonky networks and flaky power is enough.
There are a small group of us who go around to every county office to swap out PCs and laptops. Supposedly there is a minimum standard of units to have in and properly configured.
Most of the configuration is a script and just putting the unit together. I typically make the standard number by lunch time or so if things don’t weird out. There is another guy who is close to me. There are two others who are good guys and all but get the bare minimum done. I see a lot of talking to the women, forgetting where units in process are, endless gabbing on phones, and most of the configuration problems.
Will they also be required to pass the drug test? And what will passing mean? No recreational drugs in system or mostly no drugs in the system etc.?
We are talking about the government here.
Will they also be required to pass the drug test? And what will passing mean? No recreational drugs in system or mostly no drugs in the system etc.? Will it be zero tolerance and for which drugs?
We are talking about the government here.
The worst hangover of my life was as a college freshman in 1970 with Colt 45. I was at a party at an apartment complex next to the dorm I lived in. BTW, Colt 45 glows very nicely under a black light.
Colt tall boys, I didn't get out of bed the next day until dinner was being served in the dorm cafeteria.
Took me until the middle of my junior year to get my GPA where it belonged after the debauchery of my freshman year.
Still, all things considered, it was (painfully) fun.
As a long time Florida boy I say good,
It’ about time
I guess it is silly to check id before voting too? And this thing about a border pfffff. Where does it say in the Constitution a draft is legal? Lincoln's conscription act of 1863 was probably unconstitutional. PS: the states are block granted welfare so it is the state that is requiring the test.
I smell a libtardarian.
We are talking about government blood suckers here.
You spelt no one wrong. No one is two words. That nulls all your points. Learn English.
Dude.........attaching the Bill Of Rights to applying for welfare is not only disingenuous, it is just wrong.
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