Wisconsin Govenor moving ahead with plan to drug test food stamp users

Madison Wisconsin's Gov. Scott Walker is moving ahead with plans that were approved from the Repub controlled legislator to test food stamp recipients. Other states have tried this and it was found unconstitutional.

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker moved ahead Monday with his plans to make Wisconsin the first state to drug test able-bodied adults applying for food stamps, a move blocked by the federal government or found to be unconstitutional when other states have tried.

Wisconsin's plan was approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature more than two years ago, but it languished because it conflicts with federal rules prohibiting states from imposing additional eligibility criteria on food stamp recipients.

www.startribune.com...

Florida tried this and failed due to the 14th amendment and that silly protections against unreasonable searches thingy.

Florida had a drug test requirement for food stamp recipients that a federal appeals court blocked in 2014, finding it violated constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. Walker filed a federal lawsuit in 2015 seeking approval to test food stamp applicants, but it was rejected because then-President Barack Obama's administration had not yet formally rejected the state's request to do the testing.

Childless people who fail the drug test will be offered rehab-state funded if they can't pay. The estimate is a very small number of people (.3%) would test positive.

Under the plan, childless FoodShare participants who fail a drug test would be eligible for state-funded rehabilitation treatment if they don't have any other way to pay for it. FoodShare is Wisconsin's name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Walker administration estimated that a small fraction of the program's applicants — 220, or 0.3 percent, of the 67,400 applicants a year — would actually test positive for drugs.

I think this is a great idea with one little change. If you can't use the system you are forced to pay into because of personal choices, then you should be able to opt out from paying into the system that looks to omit you.


.

not to mention, every state has done this has found it to be a net loss of revenue... paying more for the tests than they're saving by kicking people off the rolls.

a reply to: seasonal

Sounds like a good idea to some until you find out it really doesn't do anything and is a cost prohibitive program. Let's not even use the civil liberty angle. If you are going to do drug testing, do it for EVERY State Benefit. And then again, it will be cost prohibitive and an unwarranted invasion of privacy.

a reply to: fiverx313

Hows about we offer the same opportunity for rehab for the Meth heads and heroin addicts in place of prison?

Oh let's also stop acting as if the other rec drug that is now ok'ed of med use is in the same class as the previous 2 and get the people out of the prisons.

Good god... States are still trying this idiotic policy? How many times does it have to fail and waste tons of the State's tax money before people learn their lesson? Drug testing welfare recipients doesn't work!

a reply to: Krazysh0t

It's a repub thing, we wouldn't understand.

originally posted by: seasonal
Madison Wisconsin's Gov. Scott Walker is moving ahead with plans that were approved from the Repub controlled legislator to test food stamp recipients. Other states have tried this and it was found unconstitutional.

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker moved ahead Monday with his plans to make Wisconsin the first state to drug test able-bodied adults applying for food stamps, a move blocked by the federal government or found to be unconstitutional when other states have tried.

Wisconsin's plan was approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature more than two years ago, but it languished because it conflicts with federal rules prohibiting states from imposing additional eligibility criteria on food stamp recipients.

www.startribune.com...

Florida tried this and failed due to the 14th amendment and that silly protections against unreasonable searches thingy.

Florida had a drug test requirement for food stamp recipients that a federal appeals court blocked in 2014, finding it violated constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. Walker filed a federal lawsuit in 2015 seeking approval to test food stamp applicants, but it was rejected because then-President Barack Obama's administration had not yet formally rejected the state's request to do the testing.

Childless people who fail the drug test will be offered rehab-state funded if they can't pay. The estimate is a very small number of people (.3%) would test positive.

Under the plan, childless FoodShare participants who fail a drug test would be eligible for state-funded rehabilitation treatment if they don't have any other way to pay for it. FoodShare is Wisconsin's name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Walker administration estimated that a small fraction of the program's applicants — 220, or 0.3 percent, of the 67,400 applicants a year — would actually test positive for drugs.

I think this is a great idea with one little change. If you can't use the system you are forced to pay into because of personal choices, then you should be able to opt out from paying into the system that looks to omit you.


.

I don't have a problem with it. If they don't want to take a drug test, then they need to not ask for food stamps. I see nothing "unreasonable" about it. Is it a big problem? I don't know, but it makes sense to me that when someone wants to be on the public dole, we have requirements for our generosity.

a reply to: seasonal

It's a crazy thing. You know, doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results?

Maybe there should be a similar policy to drug test high level executives when they get corporate welfare.

Man imagine one condition of the Bank Bailout having been all the top level people had to be drug tested in order to get it.

I bet there are quite a few connoisseurs of white powder and other things among those circles.

originally posted by: Edumakated

originally posted by: seasonal
Madison Wisconsin's Gov. Scott Walker is moving ahead with plans that were approved from the Repub controlled legislator to test food stamp recipients. Other states have tried this and it was found unconstitutional.

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker moved ahead Monday with his plans to make Wisconsin the first state to drug test able-bodied adults applying for food stamps, a move blocked by the federal government or found to be unconstitutional when other states have tried.

Wisconsin's plan was approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature more than two years ago, but it languished because it conflicts with federal rules prohibiting states from imposing additional eligibility criteria on food stamp recipients.

www.startribune.com...

Florida tried this and failed due to the 14th amendment and that silly protections against unreasonable searches thingy.

Florida had a drug test requirement for food stamp recipients that a federal appeals court blocked in 2014, finding it violated constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. Walker filed a federal lawsuit in 2015 seeking approval to test food stamp applicants, but it was rejected because then-President Barack Obama's administration had not yet formally rejected the state's request to do the testing.

Childless people who fail the drug test will be offered rehab-state funded if they can't pay. The estimate is a very small number of people (.3%) would test positive.

Under the plan, childless FoodShare participants who fail a drug test would be eligible for state-funded rehabilitation treatment if they don't have any other way to pay for it. FoodShare is Wisconsin's name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Walker administration estimated that a small fraction of the program's applicants — 220, or 0.3 percent, of the 67,400 applicants a year — would actually test positive for drugs.

I think this is a great idea with one little change. If you can't use the system you are forced to pay into because of personal choices, then you should be able to opt out from paying into the system that looks to omit you.


.

I don't have a problem with it. If they don't want to take a drug test, then they need to not ask for food stamps. I see nothing "unreasonable" about it. Is it a big problem? I don't know, but it makes sense to me that when someone wants to be on the public dole, we have requirements for our generosity.

The problem is that it finds very few positive results (like around 1%) and wastes a LOT of tax money for the effort. The return isn't worth the effort and it just becomes a money sink that is basically patronizing and insulting the people on the worst of luck.

originally posted by: pavil
a reply to: seasonal

Sounds like a good idea to some until you find out it really doesn't do anything and is a cost prohibitive program. Let's not even use the civil liberty angle. If you are going to do drug testing, do it for EVERY State Benefit. And then again, it will be cost prohibitive and an unwarranted invasion of privacy.

Been saying for years, why are our government officials not drug tested?? They say they test people at McDonalds because they handle money, YET the criminals in government not only write the laws but also have the responsibility of spending Trillions!!!
Why the hell aren't they required to take a drug test above and beyond us working serfs?

I think the Wisconsin government should have to take a surprise drug test on a day they don't expect.
I would like to know how many of them are using drugs. After all it's tax dollars that pay their salaries.

originally posted by: Edumakated

originally posted by: seasonal
Madison Wisconsin's Gov. Scott Walker is moving ahead with plans that were approved from the Repub controlled legislator to test food stamp recipients. Other states have tried this and it was found unconstitutional.

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker moved ahead Monday with his plans to make Wisconsin the first state to drug test able-bodied adults applying for food stamps, a move blocked by the federal government or found to be unconstitutional when other states have tried.

Wisconsin's plan was approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature more than two years ago, but it languished because it conflicts with federal rules prohibiting states from imposing additional eligibility criteria on food stamp recipients.

www.startribune.com...

Florida tried this and failed due to the 14th amendment and that silly protections against unreasonable searches thingy.

Florida had a drug test requirement for food stamp recipients that a federal appeals court blocked in 2014, finding it violated constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. Walker filed a federal lawsuit in 2015 seeking approval to test food stamp applicants, but it was rejected because then-President Barack Obama's administration had not yet formally rejected the state's request to do the testing.

Childless people who fail the drug test will be offered rehab-state funded if they can't pay. The estimate is a very small number of people (.3%) would test positive.

Under the plan, childless FoodShare participants who fail a drug test would be eligible for state-funded rehabilitation treatment if they don't have any other way to pay for it. FoodShare is Wisconsin's name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Walker administration estimated that a small fraction of the program's applicants — 220, or 0.3 percent, of the 67,400 applicants a year — would actually test positive for drugs.

I think this is a great idea with one little change. If you can't use the system you are forced to pay into because of personal choices, then you should be able to opt out from paying into the system that looks to omit you.


.

I don't have a problem with it. If they don't want to take a drug test, then they need to not ask for food stamps. I see nothing "unreasonable" about it. Is it a big problem? I don't know, but it makes sense to me that when someone wants to be on the public dole, we have requirements for our generosity.

If the state Gov takes drug users money to fund the safety net, and they do, then they should cover them with the basic essentials of food as a safety net.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

originally posted by: Edumakated

originally posted by: seasonal
Madison Wisconsin's Gov. Scott Walker is moving ahead with plans that were approved from the Repub controlled legislator to test food stamp recipients. Other states have tried this and it was found unconstitutional.

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker moved ahead Monday with his plans to make Wisconsin the first state to drug test able-bodied adults applying for food stamps, a move blocked by the federal government or found to be unconstitutional when other states have tried.

Wisconsin's plan was approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature more than two years ago, but it languished because it conflicts with federal rules prohibiting states from imposing additional eligibility criteria on food stamp recipients.

www.startribune.com...

Florida tried this and failed due to the 14th amendment and that silly protections against unreasonable searches thingy.

Florida had a drug test requirement for food stamp recipients that a federal appeals court blocked in 2014, finding it violated constitutional protections against unreasonable searches. Walker filed a federal lawsuit in 2015 seeking approval to test food stamp applicants, but it was rejected because then-President Barack Obama's administration had not yet formally rejected the state's request to do the testing.

Childless people who fail the drug test will be offered rehab-state funded if they can't pay. The estimate is a very small number of people (.3%) would test positive.

Under the plan, childless FoodShare participants who fail a drug test would be eligible for state-funded rehabilitation treatment if they don't have any other way to pay for it. FoodShare is Wisconsin's name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Walker administration estimated that a small fraction of the program's applicants — 220, or 0.3 percent, of the 67,400 applicants a year — would actually test positive for drugs.

I think this is a great idea with one little change. If you can't use the system you are forced to pay into because of personal choices, then you should be able to opt out from paying into the system that looks to omit you.


.

I don't have a problem with it. If they don't want to take a drug test, then they need to not ask for food stamps. I see nothing "unreasonable" about it. Is it a big problem? I don't know, but it makes sense to me that when someone wants to be on the public dole, we have requirements for our generosity.

The problem is that it finds very few positive results (like around 1%) and wastes a LOT of tax money for the effort. The return isn't worth the effort and it just becomes a money sink that is basically patronizing and insulting the people on the worst of luck.

I'd want to see the data and methodology. I have a hard time believing the positive rate is only 1%. It would be higher than that in the general population and I know you aren't asking me to believe the food stamp recipients are less likely to the drug users.

I need to do some digging around as something isn't passing the smell test imho with that hit rate being claimed.

a reply to: Edumakated

I have never used welfare or food stamps.
I have no problem with my taxes paying for a hungry living beings food.
Whether they are on drugs or not makes no difference to me.

a reply to: seasonal

What type of drugs are they testing for? If it includes opioids, the number of people who test positive will be far higher than 3%.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: seasonal

It's a crazy thing. You know, doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results?

I guess he and Snyder are in states that don't need that pesky
Constitution the SCOTUS keeps bringing up with the test balloons.

I've got it... we can amend the bill to require ALL PUBLIC employees
to get random tests too. That'll shut'em up.
I've conversed a lot with public employees from many disciplines--
and this could explain the reason for a lot of the response quality.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
a reply to: Edumakated

I have never used welfare or food stamps.
I have no problem with my taxes paying for a hungry living beings food.
Whether they are on drugs or not makes no difference to me.

Agreed. Very well said.

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: fiverx313

Hows about we offer the same opportunity for rehab for the Meth heads and heroin addicts in place of prison?

Oh let's also stop acting as if the other rec drug that is now ok'ed of med use is in the same class as the previous 2 and get the people out of the prisons.

those both sound like excellent ideas to me.

a reply to: Edumakated

Here is a link that provides a bunch of graphics that show total number of people tested versus positive results across seven different states. You can do the math yourself. No methodology needed. Just good ole fashioned division.

What 7 states discovered after spending more than $1 million drug testing welfare recipients