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April 18, 2012

Data: Welfare Drug Testing Strains, Rather Than Boosts, State Budgets 
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New research shows a Florida law requiring welfare seekers to pass a
drug test has had no effect on the number of welfare applications and
has actually cost the government tens of thousands of dollars. Over a
four-month period when the law was in effect, only 2.6 percent of
Florida applicants actually failed the tests. The most common reason for
failure was marijuana use. Proponents of the law had argued it would
save the state money. But data obtained by the American Civil Liberties
Union shows the state paid more than $118,000 for the tests, which the
group said was nearly $46,000 more than it would have spent on welfare
benefits for those who were disqualified by the tests. Another document
shows the drug testing requirement had no impact on the number of people
on welfare. The ACLU sued the state of Florida over the drug tests last
year and a judge temporarily halted the law in October saying it would
likely be deemed unconstitutional. Earlier this week, Georgia enacted a
similar law requiring drug tests for welfare.

 

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