Missouri bill would require drug tests for welfare recipients, elected officials

[proud2BlibKansan]

JEFFERSON CITY | The Missouri House has voted to require drug testing for certain people receiving or seeking cash welfare benefits and for elected state officials.

The bill was approved today on a vote of 114-39. It now goes to the state Senate, which debated its own version of the measure today but took no vote.

Proponents say the mandatory tests would ensure that tax dollars don't subsidize illegal drug use. Critics question whether the children of people testing positive for drugs would be harmed by losing benefits.

The bill says elected state officials would have to submit to drug tests every two years.

Work-eligible adults who seek or receive welfare would be tested if there's "reasonable suspicion" of drug use. Those who refuse or test positive would not be eligible for cash benefits for one year.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1741835.html

[bluestateguy]

1. I call bills like this "30 second soundbite" bills

Why? Because if you vote no, you will be ripped apart in a 30 second soundbite ad. Bills like this sound great on a bumper sticker or in a 30 second ad, but the intellectual refutation of why it's a bad idea requires a good five minutes...and a brain.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. I call them war on the poor

[surrealAmerican]

19. I should not take that long to refute this shoddy reasoning.

One need only mention the cost of all this testing, and question what ought to be done about the inevitable false-positive results.

[leftstreet]

2. Support the War on the Poor!

FFS!

Let's not use tax dollars to give people healthcare, let's squander millions on contracts with piss-testers instead!

America, fuck yeah!

[DJ13]

3. That would probably reduce by half the number of

..... elected officials in Missouri.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. We can only hope

:)

[eShirl]

4. "Proponents say the mandatory tests would ensure that tax dollars don't subsidize illegal drug use."

They're A-OK with subsidizing legal drug use.
So drink up!!

[vegiegals]

5. I disapprove of this. Too much space for crap to happen to families.

[Lerkfish]

8. I'm sure "reasonable suspicion" equals "black"

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. In the urban areas, yes

[Motown_Johnny]

9. One positive test and no benefits for a year???

that seems a bit extreme

besides the obvious privacy issues

[eppur_se_muova]

22. Um, they do know about false positive results, right?

It is possible for a legal substance to interact
with a substance in a urine specimen
resulting in a “false positive,” a
positive drug test even though an illicit
drug was not in fact used. Such reactions
have reportedly, although infrequently,
occurred from antihistamines,
ibuprofen, and other anti-inflammatory
drugs, and poppyseeds. Proper confirmation
procedures should guard against
false positive results.

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/dtest.pdf

http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/poppyseed.asp

[Flaneur]

11. The legislature's fiscal analysts say this would cost the state millions each year.

Drug tests cost money, drug treatment costs money.

[Flaneur]

12. These bills are popping up in lots of states:

Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, West Virginia, South Carolina

[Froward69]

13. All stares that have a burning conservative desire

to be as cruel to poor people as possible.

[fishwax]

14. revolting

:puke:

[winyanstaz]

15. yes...reasonable suspicion means you have brown skin....

This bill would put children and elderly that depend on the help and care of welfare at a huge risk as well.
Far better to legalize drugs, end the criminal profits and violence as well as enable people to seek help to kick the habit without fear of prison.
By doing this it would also end people having to be reduced and embarrassed by having people watching you piss and looking at your piss.
If that isn't invasive I don't know what is unless it is having strangers look at you butt naked at the airport...
Unless your leaving dna at a crime scene such as rape or murder I think body fluids and pictures of your naked body are very personnal...but that is only one little old grannies opinion.

[Quantess]

16. My advice to welfare recipients of Missouri:

Quit the drugs and start drinking instead! Alcohol leaves the body within 12 hours, which gives you a better chance of clearing your pee tests.
Chug-a-lug!:beer:

[democracy1st]

18. +1 hell yea!

[Turbineguy]

17. For elected officials?

We're talking armed overthrow here!

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Yes I love that part

Wonder if it will make it into the final bill?

[Rage for Order]

21. This bill doesn't go far enough, in my opinion

"The bill says elected state officials would have to submit to drug tests every two years."

The tests for elected officials need to be random and be done a minimum of 6 times per year on each elected official. And I mean really random, as in the elected officials not having any way to find out when their number will be called. And they need to do hair follicle testing. That's a bill I could get behind.

[Quantess]

23. cocaine? hello?