Mo. bill ties drug testing to welfare, By Juana Summers, February 2, 2010, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “Welfare recipients in Missouri would have to undergo drug testing under legislation expected to hit the state House floor this week. Supporters of the proposal say the state shouldn’t subsidize drug use. But critics say the law targets the poor and that the state’s drug treatment programs already have lengthy waiting lists, leaving few options for people who want to get clean. Applicants for the state’s welfare program who tested positive for drug use would be ineligible to receive benefits for some time under the proposal, at most three years. However, other family members would still be eligible for assistance through a third-party provider. Proponents of HB1377, sponsored by Rep. Ellen Brandom, R-Sikeston, say the state needs to protect taxpayers, who might be unintentionally giving drug users money to feed their addictions, not their families…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty