Talk About Town: Do you Think Welfare Recipients Should Be Subjected to Drug Tests?

State Rep. Jeff Farrington (R-Utica) introduced legislation last week calling for drug tests to be used to determine eligibility for welfare benefits.

House Bill No. 5223 states, "If an applicant tests positive for substance abuse, the applicant is ineligible to receive Family Independence Program Assistance benefits under this act."

The bill also states that even if an applicant passes the test, the cost of  administering the test should be deducted from his or her first welfare check. 

"Welfare benefits are for those who truly need temporary assistance," Farrington said. "After recipients leave the welfare rolls and re-enter the workforce, many of them will be required at the job application stage to complete a drug screening before gaining employment — new welfare recipients should follow this same principle."

According to Farrington, lawmakers in many states have proposed drug tests for recipients of Family Independence Program benefits or other government assistance programs. However, Florida enacted such a law this year, the first time a law like this has been passed in more than a decade.

"To be clear, this is not an attack on the overall base of welfare recipients," Farrington said. "No matter how many — or few — recipients test positive for using illegal drugs, Michigan taxpayers should not have to contribute their hard-earned dollars to those who choose an illegal lifestyle. It's time we reformed the welfare system to make sure our limited resources are spent on those who are truly in need."

So White Lake Patch wants to know:

What do you think: Should you have to pass a drug test before you can receive welfare?