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January 2, 2014

Judge Strikes Down Welfare Drug Tests in Florida 
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A federal judge has upheld a decision striking down a Florida law that
forces welfare recipients to pass a drug test. The measure barred
applicants who test positive for drug use from receiving government
assistance for one year or until they complete a drug abuse program. On
Wednesday, Judge Mary Scriven sided with previous rulings that found the
law violates constitutional protections against unreasonable searches
and seizures. Figures from a period when the law was briefly in effect
showed the testing turned up a less than two percent drug use rate among
welfare recipients, far less than the rate for the general population at
eight percent. The law ended up losing money for the state because the
high cost of the testing exceeded the low savings from denying benefits.

 

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