Drug Testing: Missouri Senate Committee Passes Bill to Drug Test Welfare Recipients
A Missouri state Senate committee voted Tuesday to approve a bill that would require welfare recipients and applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive government aid. The bill, SB 607, passed the Senate Health, Mental Health, Seniors, and Families Committee on a 5-3 vote.
The bill attempts to get around constitutional problems with other mandatory drug testing bills by limiting drug testing to those whom case workers have identified as creating "a reasonable suspicion" they are using drugs. Persons who are then drug tested and test positive would have an administrative hearing and after that hearing, could be declared ineligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits for three years. Dependent children of people thrown off the rolls would not lose their benefits; instead, they would be provided through a payee for the children.
The bill also provides that the Department of Mental Health would refer people who test positive to drug treatment, although it doesn't specify who would pay for it. Nor does the bill have any provision for returning someone to the rolls after successfully completing treatment.
The vote came despite a fiscal impact analysis that found the measure would cost the state more than $2.5 million in 2011 and around $3.5 million in 2012 and 2013. While the state would save some money from paying out fewer benefits, those savings would be swamped by the costs of drug testing, hearings for people who appealed the loss of benefits, and the cost of drug treatment.
Missouri is one of a handful of states where similar bills are moving this year. Similar bills have been filed or pre-filed in Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
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Comment posted by mlang52 on Fri, 02/05/2010 - 2:18pmI guess they don't mind wasting millions of dollars to deny people benefits! Wouldn't that mean, that in the long run, they won't be saving ANY money, and would be denying kids food and shelter? Oh, I ignored the fact that the kids could be taken form their biological parents and put in a foster home. (then they will, more likely, be fed!?)
Who cares about the kid's well being anyway? We all know that drug using parents could not, in any way, take proper care of their kids!.............. ; P
I think they should include alcohol testing, as well. They could throw, even, more off of the welfare rolls, could they not? People under influence of alcohol can be less responsible, than the 'druggies '! Right?
The powers that be that enforce this, will just be making sure "those damn druggies" will not be providing for their kids in any way shape or form! That really sounds, more, like punishment without having the benefits of a trial!
And, the next problem, those damn tests don't work correctly to identify false positives, (THC in soap?) They are using a flawed test to make flawed decisions. How can they expect anything good from it? Then, half, of those using, will be missed, as well. It will all depend on the way they try to enforce the thing!
Well, I could be wrong! This is nothing new! It appears to be the same old SNAFU government decisions!
MISERY
Comment posted by Jean Boyd on Fri, 02/05/2010 - 8:55pmI can only imagine that the CEO's of the "treatment programs" are applauding this move. Even though this is clearly a breach to the constitution, somehow officials have been allowed to pass it. This does not benefit society in any way but it will be interesting to see who does benefit from it. This unconstitutional, cruel and unethical rule is being enacted for the benefit of the few in a desperate attempt to continue draconian leadership. How can any decision be based on a one-time urine analysis. Having a "drug" in a person's bloodstream does not prove abuse of a drug. Especially marijuana. The present drug war regime is determined to continue it's current direction even though it is headed over the edge.
They need to include
Comment posted by Anonymous on Mon, 02/08/2010 - 9:05pmThey need to include cigarettes too. This will cause many case workers to be jobless. Don't discriminate. Alcohol is a legal drug, so are cigarettes. Many people on Medicaid smoke and contribute to health problems.
Maybe it's not an issue of
Comment posted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 3:08pmMaybe it's not an issue of saving money. Maybe it's an issue of making a statement that the tax payers are tired of paying for people that sit on their butts all day and do drugs. To many people these days believe that the government owes them something because they were born. They don't even attempt to better themselves. As for the kids of those people that test positive, the state should take them and place them in a home that will take care of them. Then maybe they won't follow in their parents footsteps.
This is just plain WRONG!
Comment posted by Flying Goat on Fri, 02/05/2010 - 11:28amAs a senior citizen living on Social Security Disability, one who relies on medical marijuana for my pain, I can tell you this is wrong! What a sham! Removing the parents' portion of the support check does NOTHING but further diminish the resources available to dependent children. How can a person support children when they already depend on public assistance?
The amount spent by the State of Mississippi in order to discriminate against marijuana users (testing, etc.) ends up costing taxpayers more in the long run, not to mention leaving the determination of "reasonable suspicion" up to very low-paid county employees...
If ANYBODY can see how this bill can benefit society in ANY way, please let me know.