Drug Testing for Welfare

Drug Testing for Welfare

Most of the U.S. States have introduced legislative initiatives, whereby to obtain social security benefits will need to take the test for drug use. In some states, particularly in Arizona, Indiana, Missouri and Florida, these laws are already in place. In Florida, those who receive aid in cash, have to pay for these tests. The number of those who apply for benefits in the State, after the introduction of such measures has decreased. As reported in September, The Miami Herald, this legislation supports 71 percent of Florida residents (Bean & Philip, Pp.69-71).

The American Civil Liberties Union (American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU) filed a lawsuit demanding to abolish such measures. According to supporters of such laws, it is necessary to exclude the possibility that taxpayer funds ultimately went to the drug traffickers. In addition, the Republicans who support these bills in state legislatures, traditionally wary of the social support systems. Many of them believe that the benefits only increase poverty and unemployment, depriving people of work incentives. Approximately in twenty, states unemployment benefits cannot receive to people who were dismissed for drug use. More than a dozen states are deprived of social benefits those who have committed the drug-related offense. Social support system in the United States includes, inter alia, unemployment benefits, food stamps and the ability to rent an apartment at a reduced price (King & Pasquarella, Pp.78).

It also has proposed a bill that would require "candidates for the Legislative Assembly" to submit to drug testing, making the Chandler v Miller case in 1997 in his head. Illinois Rep. Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) has introduced HB 1402, to require candidates for the legislature to submit with your request for access to the vote, the results of a substance abuse test. The test must have taken place within 60 days before sending the request. Mitchell is not a neophyte legislator, was first elected to the Illinois legislature in 1998 (Rempel, Pp.101-110).

Mitchell is also a prominent activist for the welfare change, suggesting that drug testing would somehow beneficiaries to reduce the cost to taxpayers. He says: "Representative Brown and I have presented a package of bills to reform our welfare system and save the state tens of millions of dollars. Walk Governor Quinn and his allies in the legislature only democrat stuck taxpayers with a tax 7 million dollars. But have objected to these proposals for reform of ...