Federal Judge Rules Florida May Not Drug Test Welfare Applicants

[Fearless]

U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sounded the death knell for the Florida law that would have required anyone seeking public assistance to submit to drug testing.

The ALEC-inspired law supported by the pharmaceutical industry which would profit from the testing, was already on hold after an appeals court panel unanimously found:

“The simple fact of seeking public assistance does not deprive a TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) applicant of the same constitutional protection from unreasonable searches that all other citizens enjoy.”

Republican legislators however, have recently found the idea of shaming poor people is a winner with the Tea Party crowd and refused to take no for an answer. This week, Judge Mary S. Scriven once again rejected Florida’s argument that the law was needed...

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/federal-judge-rules-florida-may-not-drug-test-welfare-applicants/legal-issues/2014/01/02/81048

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[last1standing]

1. Tea bagger reps have found a real winner with this issue.

They can push through red meat legislation that enflames the desire in the most ignorant to shame the poor knowing that the courts will overturn any laws enacted. Then they get to scream about the "liberals on the court coddling the greedy takers."

Nothing gets done, which the like, and they get a new issue to dupe the rubes with, which they love.

[quaker bill]

2. Where this gets interesting

is that actually running the program for the bit when it was active, they found that less than 2% of the applicants tested positive and were denied benefits. The state paid to test the 98% that passed. The funds they retained by denying benefits to that 2% did not pay for the testing of the 98%. So in short, the program increased the cost of providing welfare to the taxpayer.

Better yet, now that the action to deny benefits was clearly based on an unconstitutional search, the decision to deny benefits has likely been thrown out (as the fruit of a civil rights violation). The folks denied benefits are likely due a lump sum payment to cover the entire period of benefit denial, and a good lawyer might even be able to get them damages at some level.

These wingnuts are idiots. They create expensive and intrusive programs to control 'problems' that only exist in their Fox News addled imaginations.

(Guess what Nimrods, people with drug problems do not hang out in government offices for any reason - it is that arrest / jail thing, they don't seem to like it much...)

[Vattel]

3. Thanks for the additional information.

[davidn3600]

5. It's not about reducing costs to the taxpayer

The teabaggers hate the idea that someone is "getting something for nothing." They dont even really like the idea of social security.

You see idiots like John Stossel angry because people on welfare had air conditioners. And he was making a big deal out of that.

These people seem to have an inherent desire to see people suffer.

[gwheezie]

4. Well and there's this

From the crook who frauded mcare
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/business/gov-rick-scotts-drug-testing-policy-stirs-suspicio/nLq8f/

[DirkGently]

6. Another charming bit of spite from Rick Scott.

Nothing he likes more than hurting Floridians.