Scott Signs Welfare Drug Testing Bill

[rockin'robin]

Scott Signs Welfare Drug Testing Bill

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Welfare applicants will have to undergo drug testing under a bill Gov. Rick Scott signed.

Scott signed the bill Tuesday in Panama City along with another measure that bans the designer drug MDPV or "bath salts."

The drug testing bill was a priority for Scott. It will require anyone applying for temporary government assistance to pass the test before receiving benefits.

Applicants will have to pay for the tests themselves and will be reimbursed if they pass.

The law is expected to be quickly challenged. A similar Michigan law passed in 1999 that required random drug testing of Welfare recipients lasted five weeks in 1999 before it was stopped by a judge. An appeals court ruled it unconstitutional after a four-year legal battle.

According to the Department of Children and Families, across the state, there are 100,000 people in the welfare program; about 80,000 of them are children and about 20,000 are adults, who will have to take the drug test.

In Duval County, just more than 6,000 people will be subject to testing.

Scott Signs Welfare Drug Testing Bill - Jacksonville News Story - WJXT Jacksonville

 

[saywhatkid]

Better get ready for them in SC and Georgia....

 

[Oceanbreeze]

What a huge cluster f *ck this is gonna be!

 

[Beowulf]

The state "estimates the cost of a drug test to be between $15 and $35."
I am sure this bill will get squashed, just like in South Dakota, Illinois, and Iowa.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

The state "estimates the cost of a drug test to be between $15 and $35."
I am sure this bill will get squashed, just like in South Dakota, Illinois, and Iowa.

It probably will. I can see the intent here, but practical reality dictates that implementing this is going to be a mess! Think about it. 80% of FL's welfare recipients are CHILDREN! Logic would dictate that that number will increase as the rolls swell, right? So, you end up drug testing mostly KIDS. WTF?

Also, what about recipients who may be taking opiates legally for pain? That will undoubtedly show up in a test. ADHD sufferers needing meds to help them focus? Drugs like ritalin are considered a controlled substance. Are there any provisions in this bill to prevent people from having their benefits cut unfairly?

Nobody thinks about this stuff and I see a lot of issues with this bill.

 

[saywhatkid]

The state "estimates the cost of a drug test to be between $15 and $35."
I am sure this bill will get squashed, just like in South Dakota, Illinois, and Iowa.

It probably will. I can see the intent here, but practical reality dictates that implementing this is going to be a mess! Think about it. 80% of FL's welfare recipients are CHILDREN! Logic would dictate that that number will increase as the rolls swell, right? So, you end up drug testing mostly KIDS. WTF?

Also, what about recipients who may be taking opiates legally for pain? That will undoubtedly show up in a test. ADHD sufferers needing meds to help them focus? Drugs like ritalin are considered a controlled substance. Are there any provisions in this bill to prevent people from having their benefits cut unfairly?

Nobody thinks about this stuff and I see a lot of issues with this bill.

Just a FYI; once a bill is signed by the governor, it becomes law. This is no longer a bill.

 

[deafskeptic]

It probably will. I can see the intent here, but practical reality dictates that implementing this is going to be a mess! Think about it. 80% of FL's welfare recipients are CHILDREN! Logic would dictate that that number will increase as the rolls swell, right? So, you end up drug testing mostly KIDS. WTF?

Also, what about recipients who may be taking opiates legally for pain? That will undoubtedly show up in a test. ADHD sufferers needing meds to help them focus? Drugs like ritalin are considered a controlled substance. Are there any provisions in this bill to prevent people from having their benefits cut unfairly?

Nobody thinks about this stuff and I see a lot of issues with this bill.

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[rockin'robin]

Some people are happy with the bill....some are not...especially those that do receive welfare & food stamps. Seems to me that more young adults are applying (18-25)...due to the jobless situation.

It's really sad (to me) that it had to come down to something like this. Is it gonna "weed out" the welfare & food stamp cheaters?.....Rehab centers here have a "waiting list"....so does the Homeless shelters....

 

[saywhatkid]

Some people are happy with the bill....some are not...especially those that do receive welfare & food stamps. Seems to me that more young adults are applying (18-25)...due to the jobless situation.

It's really sad (to me) that it had to come down to something like this. Is it gonna "weed out" the welfare & food stamp cheaters?.....Rehab centers here have a "waiting list"....so does the Homeless shelters....

Good time to invest in Brinks stock.

 

[jillio]

The state "estimates the cost of a drug test to be between $15 and $35."
I am sure this bill will get squashed, just like in South Dakota, Illinois, and Iowa.

No doubt. And remember Palin's state proposing that rape victims pay for their own rape kits in the ER? That one went over like a lead balloon too. What is it with this mindset of re-victimizing the victims?

 

[Beowulf]

Just a FYI; once a bill is signed by the governor, it becomes law. This is no longer a bill.

Whoops. I hardly did more than skim the headline, if that, since I was sure this was just another dead bill. Goes to show how wrong one can be.

 

[Babyblue]

Rick Scott Signs Drug Test For Welfare Bill.

TALLAHASSEE — Welfare applicants will have to undergo drug testing under a bill Gov. Rick Scott signed.

Scott signed the bill Tuesday in Panama City along with another measure that bans the designer drug MDPV or "bath salts."

The drug testing bill was a priority for Scott. It will require anyone applying for temporary government assistance to pass the test before receiving benefits.

Applicants will have to pay for the tests themselves and will be reimbursed if they pass.

The law is expected to be quickly challenged. A similar Michigan law passed in 1999 that required random drug testing of Welfare recipients lasted five weeks in 1999 before it was stopped by a judge. An appeals court ruled it unconstitutional after a four-year legal battle.

Rick Scott signs welfare drug-testing bill | jacksonville.com


:roll:

 

[rockin'robin]

Repost....

 

[Babyblue]

The two can be merged then.


I personally see a huge problem with this bill. It will also be more costly than the welfare itself is. Since the children will be removed from homes and placed in the ward of the state and Parents will be put in Rehab, counseling, etc. Rick Scott thinks this will save money. It will cost MORE!

The children are the ones that will starve/suffer the most.

 

[VamPyroX]

The two can be merged then.


I personally see a huge problem with this bill. It will also be more costly than the welfare itself is. Since the children will be removed from homes and placed in the ward of the state and Parents will be put in Rehab, counseling, etc. Rick Scott thinks this will save money. It will cost MORE!

The children are the ones that will starve/suffer the most.

Done.

 

[VamPyroX]

It probably will. I can see the intent here, but practical reality dictates that implementing this is going to be a mess! Think about it. 80% of FL's welfare recipients are CHILDREN! Logic would dictate that that number will increase as the rolls swell, right? So, you end up drug testing mostly KIDS. WTF?

Also, what about recipients who may be taking opiates legally for pain? That will undoubtedly show up in a test. ADHD sufferers needing meds to help them focus? Drugs like ritalin are considered a controlled substance. Are there any provisions in this bill to prevent people from having their benefits cut unfairly?

Nobody thinks about this stuff and I see a lot of issues with this bill.

ADHD drugs are not "drugs" that they are really testing for. It's pretty much the same kind of drug test that they have new employee hires do.

I understand that it might be seen as a waste of time, but on a long run... it will help crack down on those drug addicts who are taking government money.

I've seen people who get SSI/SSDI or any other benefits... while spending it on drugs when they can make better use of their time and money on things that will really benefit them.

It's like those homeless people. If they're going to spend the money I give them on beer and weed, then I wouldn't give them money at all.

What's important in life? It's having food and a place to live. If you can't get a place to live, then at least get some food... don't waste it on drugs and alcohol.

 

[rockin'robin]

The two can be merged then.


I personally see a huge problem with this bill. It will also be more costly than the welfare itself is. Since the children will be removed from homes and placed in the ward of the state and Parents will be put in Rehab, counseling, etc. Rick Scott thinks this will save money. It will cost MORE!

The children are the ones that will starve/suffer the most.

You might be right....and the way I'm thinking is that Scott might be thinking that people who are on drugs/alcohol will think twice before applying for food stamps/welfare aid if they are doing drugs....And there are many people who think they can "beat the system"...pay the $35 for testing, and it comes back positive for drugs...so then the state will "pocket that $$"...(non-refundable if you test "positive"......$35 a person all adds up!...So it's moreso a "wait & see" how many people will apply....

Scott's popularity here in Florida has gone down quite a bit...with all these bills he has been passing into law.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Just a FYI; once a bill is signed by the governor, it becomes law. This is no longer a bill.

Law, then. It will probably be fought in the courts. I don't see this staying on the books for very long.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

ADHD drugs are not "drugs" that they are really testing for. It's pretty much the same kind of drug test that they have new employee hires do.

I understand that it might be seen as a waste of time, but on a long run... it will help crack down on those drug addicts who are taking government money.

I've seen people who get SSI/SSDI or any other benefits... while spending it on drugs when they can make better use of their time and money on things that will really benefit them.

It's like those homeless people. If they're going to spend the money I give them on beer and weed, then I wouldn't give them money at all.

What's important in life? It's having food and a place to live. If you can't get a place to live, then at least get some food... don't waste it on drugs and alcohol.

You missed the point entirely, though. The MAJORITY of the welfare recipients in the state of FL are MINORS. That really makes this law really hard to implement. My point was that they are going to be testing every new applicant before OKing the benefits. This means they are going to potentially have to drug test a CHILD. I have a problem with that.

 

[Oceanbreeze]

Whoops. I hardly did more than skim the headline, if that, since I was sure this was just another dead bill. Goes to show how wrong one can be.

It can still be challenged in the courts and overturned. It will take more time and bull to do it, but it can be done.