Miss. House passes welfare drug-testing bill

[Recursion]

Source: The Hattiesburg American

The Mississippi House engaged in a contentious four-hour debate Wednesday before voting largely along party lines to pass a bill that would require drug testing for some people applying for welfare.

House Bill 49 passed the Republican-controlled chamber 74-46, with all Republicans who were present voting "yes" and most Democrats voting "no." The measure will go to the Senate for more work later this session.

...

The bill proposes a two-step process: When someone applies for TANF, she would answer a questionnaire. If the answers indicate possible use of illegal drugs, she would have to undergo outpatient treatment for two months.

...

The Mississippi Department of Human Services annual report says that for the 2013 budget year, which ended June 30, the average monthly payment to a family receiving TANF was $140, while the average payment to an individual was $67. The report said that in June, 9,563 families received TANF payments.

Read more: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/viewart/20140115/NEWS01/140115015/Miss-House-passes-welfare-drug-testing-bill

---

I'm still trying to parse this, though: you answer a questionnaire, and then based on that are possibly subjected to testing. I think.



At least the Democrats offered an amendment to test all CEOs of corporations who receive state contracts.

[adirondacker]

1. 2 dollars for the companies on welfare for every dollar that goes to a person in need.

Seems like a bargain these days.

[Roland99]

2. Turning into the ACA repeal history repeats itself bullcrap

Hasn't this been found unconstitutional in every state where it's been done? It was just struck down here in FL:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/01/us/florida-law-on-drug-testing-for-welfare-is-struck-down.html?_r=0

[Recursion]

3. The state house seems to think the questionnaire is enough of a fig leaf

That is, they aren't testing everybody, just those that the questionnaire indicates may be using illegal drugs.

[kelliekat44]

4. Wait until they find out who can't pass the meth test. nt

[davidthegnome]

5. Damn...

An average monthly payment of 140? 67 for an individual? Yet, for this very small amount... they want to require drug testing? Common sense should prevail here... a family getting 140 bucks a month from TANF, CANNOT afford drugs through just that 140. Nor can an individual getting 67. I'd rage against republicans and rant about how sick this is - and it is SICK.... but, unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that often gets a great deal of support from democrats as well.

One hundred and forty dollars... that's, what, maybe a cheap lunch for one of these fuckwit republicans voting on this? Sickening. Damn. Shit.

[cinnabonbon]

6. What the hell is wrong with these people?

trying to make things harder for the most vulnerable.

[joshcryer]

7. The fucked up part is that welfare recipents are LESS LIKELY to use.

Not because of these laws, but in spite of them, because they are seriously at a disadvantage and drugs are expensive.

Note: it may be different in the UK, I recently saw a documentary about UK welfare and alcoholism. It was eye-opening and I felt the UK system was enabling it.

This is not the case in the US as far as I know from the data, however.

[L0oniX]

8. some people? Question: What race are you? Ok ...you must be tested.

[CFLDem]

9. Of course they did...

[Bandit]

10. I thought a Federal Judge just struck down Florida's law that did this very thing as unconstitutiona

If a Federal Judge says it is unconstitutional in Florida, it must also be unconstitutional in Mississippi. No Probable Cause