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Florida Gov. Rick Scott signs law requiring welfare recipients to take drug test, ACLU objects
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2011/06/01/2011-06-01_florida_gov_rick_scott_signs_law_requiring_welfare_recipients_to_take_drug_test_.html
If Floridians want welfare, they better make sure they are drug-free.
Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill on Tuesday that requires benefit recipients to undergo drug testing.
Applicants for the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program who test positive for illicit substances won't be eligible for the funds for a year, or until they undergo treatment.
Those who fail a second time would be banned from receiving the funds for three years.
"While there are certainly legitimate needs for public assistance, it is unfair for Florida taxpayers to subsidize drug addiction," Scott said. "This new law will encourage personal accountability and will help to prevent the misuse of tax dollars."
If welfare candidates pass the drug screening, they'll be reimbursed for the test.
The legislation instantly came under a barrage of criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and several of the Sunshine State's Democrats. They argued the bill is an invasion of privacy.
Gov. Scott. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)
"The wasteful program created by this law subjects Floridians who are impacted by the economic downturn, as well as their families, to a humiliating search of their urine and body fluids without cause or even suspicion of drug abuse," said Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida.
"Searching the bodily fluids of those in need of assistance is a scientifically, fiscally, and constitutionally unsound policy. Today, that unsound policy is Florida law."
The law, which will be enacted July 1, is likely to be challenged. A similar bill was ruled unconstitutional by a federal court in Michigan in 2003.
If Floridians want welfare, they better make sure they are drug-free.
Republican Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill on Tuesday that requires benefit recipients to undergo drug testing.
Applicants for the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program who test positive for illicit substances won't be eligible for the funds for a year, or until they undergo treatment.
Those who fail a second time would be banned from receiving the funds for three years.
"While there are certainly legitimate needs for public assistance, it is unfair for Florida taxpayers to subsidize drug addiction," Scott said. "This new law will encourage personal accountability and will help to prevent the misuse of tax dollars."
If welfare candidates pass the drug screening, they'll be reimbursed for the test.
The legislation instantly came under a barrage of criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and several of the Sunshine State's Democrats. They argued the bill is an invasion of privacy.
Gov. Scott. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)
"The wasteful program created by this law subjects Floridians who are impacted by the economic downturn, as well as their families, to a humiliating search of their urine and body fluids without cause or even suspicion of drug abuse," said Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida.
"Searching the bodily fluids of those in need of assistance is a scientifically, fiscally, and constitutionally unsound policy. Today, that unsound policy is Florida law."
The law, which will be enacted July 1, is likely to be challenged. A similar bill was ruled unconstitutional by a federal court in Michigan in 2003.
The fraud in the system ticks me off as well, but you dont throw the baby out with the bathwater either as they say. For starters, the people that work for these angencies need to be held accountable for doing their jobs. Have you ever tried to get a hold of someone that works for say child support? And anyone that has had to take the road trip every few days to get them to update their information and do what they are paid to knows what I am talking about. Its is not the system so much as how the system is or is not being worked. imo
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) -
Police say a child was starved and left to die.
They say the girl weighed only 13 pounds and investigators have now charged the girl's mother and grandmother with attempted murder.
Lakisha Green and Cassie Green were arrested and the child was taken to Memorial Health.
"They would never really feed her or give her anything to drink. She was really little ... she looked like a skeleton," a family member who didn't want to be identified said.
Neighbors say the mother received disability payments and used the money to buy drugs instead of feeding the child.
"You don't mistreat a child. It is absolutely ridiculous," neighbor Ethel Liddell said.
Other neighbors suspect the family hid the baby. When people would ask how she was doing, neighbors say the family would say she was sick.
"I never saw the baby with them. I never even knew there was a baby down there," neighbor Rasmiyyah Quarterman said.
The Greens were recently arrested even though the child was taken away in January.
Special Victims Sgt. Karen Ryan won't talk about specifics of the case because it is pending litigation, but did explain that all investigations like this take time.
"We have to do medical reviews. We do background investigations in our cases to see how long it's been going on. Of course, we always take the children away and make sure they are getting proper care," Sergeant Ryan said.
The child suffers from a genetic disorder where she cannot communicate, feed herself, or walk and is bed ridden.
Copyright 2011 WTOC. All rights reserved
Police say a child was starved and left to die.
They say the girl weighed only 13 pounds and investigators have now charged the girl's mother and grandmother with attempted murder.
Lakisha Green and Cassie Green were arrested and the child was taken to Memorial Health.
"They would never really feed her or give her anything to drink. She was really little ... she looked like a skeleton," a family member who didn't want to be identified said.
Neighbors say the mother received disability payments and used the money to buy drugs instead of feeding the child.
"You don't mistreat a child. It is absolutely ridiculous," neighbor Ethel Liddell said.
Other neighbors suspect the family hid the baby. When people would ask how she was doing, neighbors say the family would say she was sick.
"I never saw the baby with them. I never even knew there was a baby down there," neighbor Rasmiyyah Quarterman said.
The Greens were recently arrested even though the child was taken away in January.
Special Victims Sgt. Karen Ryan won't talk about specifics of the case because it is pending litigation, but did explain that all investigations like this take time.
"We have to do medical reviews. We do background investigations in our cases to see how long it's been going on. Of course, we always take the children away and make sure they are getting proper care," Sergeant Ryan said.
The child suffers from a genetic disorder where she cannot communicate, feed herself, or walk and is bed ridden.
Copyright 2011 WTOC. All rights reserved
Thats terrible.
To my point, no one checked to see how this child was doing or following up on their caseload. Absolutely horrible.
Neglect is neglect and abuse is abuse. This happens at every economic level of society. What makes me really angry is that obviously there were family members that knew, and didn't turn them in. I don't care how close the relationship was to me...I would be making that phone call immediately. This is horrible.
Drug addiction is a horrible thing, and causes people to act in unfathomable ways.
Speaking to the original topic, I think that Florida is on the right track in trying to do SOMETHING, but I don't think that they've come up with the right answer to the problem.
I applaud their effort to do something about it, as no one else seems to be doing anything (except sitting there and complaining about it), but someone above me said that this would negatively effect the children, and I have to agree with that. Then again, as the above story indicates, some drug addicts will spend EVERY CENT on their DOC to the point where their children starve to death, so I'm just not sure WHAT to do about this.
I'm not certain exactly sure what the answer is, but the fact that Florida has taken this step is a good sign, in my opinion. Hopefully it'll bring to light the fact that it's a problem that needs to be addressed.
This is a difficult topic with no real solution, that I can see anyway. Eliminate drug addiction! There you go... problem solved. ~That was easy~ Seriously, what do you do about this???
Speaking to the original topic, I think that Florida is on the right track in trying to do SOMETHING, but I don't think that they've come up with the right answer to the problem.
I applaud their effort to do something about it, as no one else seems to be doing anything (except sitting there and complaining about it), but someone above me said that this would negatively effect the children, and I have to agree with that. Then again, as the above story indicates, some drug addicts will spend EVERY CENT on their DOC to the point where their children starve to death, so I'm just not sure WHAT to do about this.
I'm not certain exactly sure what the answer is, but the fact that Florida has taken this step is a good sign, in my opinion. Hopefully it'll bring to light the fact that it's a problem that needs to be addressed.
This is a difficult topic with no real solution, that I can see anyway. Eliminate drug addiction! There you go... problem solved. ~That was easy~ Seriously, what do you do about this???
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