Tennessee's drug testing plan for welfare recipients faces constitutional hurdles

[spanone]

THIS is what republicans do.

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Yolanda Powers is willing to take a drug test in order to qualify for welfare.

But she doesn’t think people struggling to get back on their feet should have to pay for it.

Like many of the thousands of Tennesseans receiving benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, Powers says new legislation passed by the state legislature this month doesn’t bother her.

The legislation, which Gov. Bill Haslam has said he will sign, is similar in nature to a number of controversial and constitutionally suspect laws in other states. But Powers said allowing the state to test for drugs provides a way to make sure state funds are used appropriately.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120516/NEWS0201/305160108/Plan-test-welfare-recipients-drugs-faces-constitutional-hurdles?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[Tsiyu]

1. Gotta love our TN legislators

They are a sad bunch - with a few rare exceptions. They are doing NOTHING for this poverty-ridden state, but they've got plenty of time to pass more laws against those suffering in poverty.

They suck at the massive teat of Big Pharma, For-Profit Prisons and their other Corporate Overlords.

Meanwhile, during Hurricane Ike, Haslam's family price-gouged the suffering by raising gas prices at their Pilot stores. They settled, of course, because that's what the wealthy do. They don't have to pee in cups or spend even a second in jail for hurting people who were already suffering.

He's a chip off the family block, for sure.

A pox on the Repukes in the TN legislature....a pox equal to the pox they are on this poor state....

[spanone]

2. this is what happens when you get a repub gov. senate. house.

[Tsiyu]

3. It's pretty scary

I love (most of) the people here and I love the land. But the citizens are clueless when it comes to whom to trust. They are letting politicians screw them.

They are not well informed for the most part, and apathetic - thinking they can't make a difference - so they are at the mercy of the very worst the political world has to offer.

This will end up like Florida's situation. They will waste a lot of taxpayer money to catch less than 1% of the recipients doing drugs.

But their buddies in the drug testing industry will be so happy, they'll help make sure they get re-elected!

Go Tennessee!