Drug Testing for Welfare Chaotic, ACLU Says it’s Also Unconstitutional

According to a new report from Fox News, drug testing for welfare in Florida has hit a new bottom. Coming after months of criticism, even the most staunchly conservative news sources are coming out against Governor Scott’s approach to doling out benefits, and the delivery system of Florida’s state-run programs is under fire.
 
Fox 13 of Tampa released its report and companion video that asserts the ACLU has found unequivocally that drug testing for benefits is unconstitutional, and a breech of the privacy of US citizens.
 
An open record released by the ACLU to the media reveals startling facts, such as those applying for welfare benefits in Florida with kidney disorders or failure were told to provide urine samples from their catheters, and that in some instances, those who failed the state drug test for any substance were investigated for child abuse.
 
For those who know how difficult this program has made the lives of welfare applicants, knowing how to pass a drug test even when drug use is not an issue is part and parcel of this alleged “War on Drugs.”
 
In one reported incident, a Florida mother was investigated by the state for neglect and child abuse because she tested positive for painkillers for which she had a prescription due to a surgery she was still in the process of recovering from. When learning of this incident, registered nurse Jane Scott of Sarasota stated, “The issues that this creates are mountainous—those who are totally innocent of any crime are learning that knowing what to do to pass a drug test may just come in handy even if they’ve lived their lives like church mice.”
 
With more and more reports coming out from the Orlando Sentinel, the Palm Beach Post, and the Jurist calling the ACLU’s accusations accurate and just, and less evidence that drug testing for welfare saves the state any money at all, it seems as though Governor Scott may have his hands full defending this program—and making people pay for their own drug tests.

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