Title:
Governor signs welfare drug testing bill
Message:
Despite your calls and emails, on April 16, Gov. Nathan Deal signed HB 186, a bill requiring drug testing for welfare recipients. The offensive new law goes into effect on July 1 and will mandate that TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) applicants pay for and pass drug tests in order to be eligible for public assistance benefits.
Many believe the law will be found unconstitutional if contested in court. Similar laws in other states have been challenged — a federal appeals court struck down Michigan’s law in 2002 for violating individuals' constitutional right to privacy and their Fourth Amendment protection against suspicionless searches, and a similar Florida law was recently put on hold by a federal court.
As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights plans to challenge the legislation. In addition to the questionable constitutionality of these laws, they also cost more money than they save and unfairly stigmatize the poor.
We’ll keep you posted on future developments.
