Drug tests for unemployment benefits approved

KHOU News – by Michael Brick, Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Workers who lose their jobs would have to clear a drug screening to qualify for unemployment compensation under a proposal approved by the Texas Legislature.

Under current law, employers take out insurance policies to help laid-off workers survive on weekly payments of $62 to $440. Those who are fired for cause, including failing an employer-sponsored drug test, do not qualify.  

The changes approved Saturday would require laid-off workers to fill out state questionnaires. Answers considered suspicious would lead to drug tests. Workers who fail would lose their benefits.

Republican Sen. Tommy Williams said the program will help maintain a competent workforce.

Democrats have blocked a separate measure that would have required drug testing for welfare recipients. But the bill targeting unemployed workers will now go to the governor.

http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news/Drug-tests-for-unemployment-benefits-approved-208955991.html

46 thoughts on “Drug tests for unemployment benefits approved

  1. Why stop at unemployment? How about the welfare junkies who keep having bastards to collect free money and the sperm donor neither works or supports his offspring. Dirty UA = no welfare check

    1. So you do support infringements on our Bill of Rights so long as they are being perpetrated on others, like those other Americans without jobs and those lowlifes getting food stamps. Your analysis is a direct violation of the 5th Article of our Bill of Rights and it is this self righteous attitude that has led us to where we are today.
      Not to worry, they will also infringe on your rights and there will be some other self-righteous fools calling themselves Americans who will support those infringements because they do not affect them. And so long as none of the banksters who have stolen $52 trillion from us and have cocaine and martini lunches on the taxpayer dollars every day, are not infringed upon, all is groovy.
      That is the American way, right? Worship at the feet of the enemy while condemning our brothers and sisters they have victimized.

      1. Thanks Henry. That goes along with what I was saying below @ 8:13. As you guys all probobly know that I am not in favor of these tests but if they have passed them then lets make sure the testers are also getting tested. I would love to see them all get tested seeing as how they all want to be that way like I was saying at 8:13. 🙂

      2. Henry,
        How is it infringing upon the 5th by wanted people who the system has enabled to sit around take drugs and have legitimate children? We know the biggest drug lord is the Federal Government. We see this in the Troops guarding Poppy fields of Afghanistan. All us working low life’s have to take UA’s to get and keep a job. If I tell them no, them I don’t work or I am harassed. Why is it OK to infringe upon my rights and not theirs.

        1. It is a violation of the 5th Article because it is coerced confession to a crime with absolute consequences. Following your logic, if one woman gets raped, we should pass a law saying all women should be raped in the name of equality.
          You are not going to win an argument that supports infringements on this site. It is an unconstitutional infringement when they make you pee in a cup and it is unconstitutional when anybody else has to. Arguing someone else should have their rights infringed upon because yours have been infringed upon, again, is exactly what has led us straight into this police state. It is always going to be alright for someone else to be without their rights, right?

          1. To receive benefits from the Gov are neither mandatory nor are they inalienable rights. That is, no one is required to seek gov assistance.

            They are not required to have a drug test, they can simply decide to abstain or cease to receive benefits.

            To use a metaphor such as rape (involuntary every time) is far from a reasonable comparison to things people request (needed to whatever degree), be those things on someone else’s dime or not.

            As to the Constitutionality of the matter; the 4th amend seems more in line with ‘search & seizure’.

            The point referencing the potential for a pandora’s box is quite valid. If one illegal act could affect eligibility then why not other illegal behavior…

            The idea is well intentioned and troublesome all at once – tough call IMO.

          2. The fact remains that as with Social Security, they take a portion of our paychecks (WITHOUT our express permission) that is (supposedly) put aside for us, should we become unemployed. That is NOT a (so-called) ‘government’ benefit. It is NOT an entitlement. It is (fiat) money that we WORKED for, therefore it is due us.

      3. Touche’! A judge recently died of a cocaine overdose in a secluded cabin in Illinois? while the other judge who was there with him, and was caught with heroin and drug parephenalia; waited to report the death! I would love to know how many “addicts and alcoholics” these two “put away” in their careers…while they and their families lived high off the” Proverbial hog”? Pitiful.

    2. I have an idea. They piss test us all and if we score a positive we don’t have to pay taxes.Alcoholics and methheads who can lay off for a few hours can pass the piss test. All you are going to do is catch a few potheads.
      With the governments free trade policies and all the other bullshit they are doing this may be moot pretty quick anyway!
      The people who have been paying in for years and now that they need some help they are going to get screwed.
      But welfare was never about helping people up. It was about getting their vote and keeping them down!

  2. Now that this law has passed, it seems to me that every govt. employee from the meter maid on up to the pres. should all be getting a drug test at least two times monthly. And that would also go for the Dr.s. Why doesn`t it seem right that you will be punished for something you do 3 or 4 weeks ago like smoking some pot when you can go out and get sloppy drunk and pass a drug/breathalizer test the next day, or go to a coke party on a friday and the coke – or meth – will be out of the system by monday and you can pass a drug test but you damned well better not smoke that joint 3 week ago. Lets make sure then that all public service workers and govt employeese are getting a on the spot drug test at least twice a month. And better yet how about a ignition interlock on all police and goverment vehicles that will not start if there is any alcohol detected.

    1. Agreed diggerdan, your point about pot being detected for weeks beyond last use posed against the short time cocaine or meth can be detected is a good point. I have heard of these test involving use of hair that supposedly can detect drug use going back months. Are these tests using hair accurate? Either way, I believe any drug screening is a violation of your rights against unreasonable search and seizure.

  3. Our sold-out, corrupt Congress has lightly discussed having their member submit to testing for illegal drugs in their body fluids at least four times and each time, the measure never got out of committee.

    1. ROFL

      Would this be the same Congress that just repealed the law preventing them from insider trading??

      -Do as we say not as we do said the nobles to the proles…

  4. If you want to test, then test EVERYONE. From that crack-smoking person in The White House on down to the local child-molesting priest…..EVERYONE gets tested.
    If you want to consider welfare recipients as low-lifes, then look also to the “low-lifes” who are living the high-life on our taxes and PAC bribes.
    Do you get it yet?……this is just another way to divide We, The People.

    1. Yes Michael, Test everyone from the clown in the white house to the welfare and unemployment recipient. But we know that won’t happen that is not reality. The Zionist Government wants slaves not free people.

      1. Michael, Mark, I humbly disagree. You advocate drug testing for “everyone”. Who is “everyone”? People other than you? People you don’t like? People you look down on? Michael, you said this issue is another way to divide us. I agree. However, isn’t your idea of government mandated tests for “everyone” divisive as well? When has government mandated ANYTHING been a good idea? Government mandates never solve anything. They just perpetuate problems and usually make things worse. I’m surprised two men who espouse liberty like you two do would conclude the solution is MORE all inclusive governmment mandates.

        1. Scott, Everybody applies to everybody from the clown in the White House to the beggar on the street. If the shoe fits.
          I am so not for Government mandates, but there has to be rules.
          We as a free people can’t allow a truck drivers to go untested. One of the requirements for my job is to be drug tested. I can say “NO WAY I”M INNOCENT UNTIL PROVED GUILTY” Then me and a lot of others would not be driving, just pee in a cup and get back to work.
          Are you willing to drive next to a big truck whose is all over the road? Can you tell me it is your right to drive or operate heavy equipment under the influence of something that impairs your driving and the safety of others. What about the rights of those people to just want life, liberty and pursue happiness? We must be a self governing people.
          I espouse freedom and liberty but I also espouse responsibility and accountability. If a person chooses to drive under the influence and kills someone or damages property because they choose to not being responsible then, we as a self governing people must hold them accountable.
          Freedom and Liberty does not give anyone the right to hold up a bank and shoot a teller because they may have fallen on hard times or believes the teller performed badly.
          If I am wrong, then I am in the wrong web site anarchy and the survival of the fittest has a place in the jungle. I don’t care who it is or who they are, no one has the right, freedom or liberty to be mean.
          If we are talking about probable cause then that’s a different story.

          1. You really do not understand what self-governess means. It means we as individuals are in complete control. If we infringe upon another’s right, it is the duty of that individual to him or herself to bring any other individual to account. We need no government and no collective to deal with one another, just common law courts and 12 person juries.
            When you say we need to insure that no one drank too many beers when driving down the road, sorry, but under our system of law, we as a collective can hold no more power than any one of us as an individual.
            What you see as lawlessness would exist only to a small extent if each one of us were absolutely responsible directly to any other individual we caused harm to. No plea bargains, just a jury verdict and justice. And if someone is killed, any one of us, under our law, has the right to prosecute our law and we are in fact duty bound to do so for the protection of our law. When I say our law, I am talking about the original first ten articles to our Bill of Rights, which is our law in common.

          2. “We as a free people can not allow truck drivers to go untested.” In that particular case, accidents have been Proven to be caused by “Sleep Deprivation”. How are you going to “Test” for That? Yes, “if one person is “tested” Everyone must be tested.” BUT, you are not “getting” the point that Henry & others have been trying to get across to you. Guilty BEFORE Proven Guilty Is Unjust. Across the board “Testing” is Wrong. 🙂

          3. Mark, I will divulge a bit of personal info here. I too am a truck driver. Have been for seven years. The reason we are tested is because we operate vehicles in interstate commerce to earn our living. Congress can regulate interstate commerce as per the Constitution. I see you write we must be a self governing people, but then you want government madated drug tests for…I guess, all Americans. Those opinions seem contradictory to me. Because self governing comes with resposability. Government mandates means no personal responsability…just more rules, regulations, punishments and of course…hefty fines. I wonder if you yourself want to be left alone by Big Brother, but since you don’t seem to trust your countrymen…you want us watched and regulated. I’m sure I’ve misread your intent so please elaborate.

  5. This is just to drive in the tip of a wedge because that’s always acceptable to bigots who are too dumb to realize that after the wedge is in it will go beyond testing for drugs, onto testing for other conditions such as testing for certain genes which make us susceptible to terminal illness or ailments requiring expensive treatments. I mean, they’re going to die anyway, so why would any smartarse want to feed them once they’ve been kicked out of work? They know it doesn’t mean them, right?

    Unless we have a valued profession or specialist skill it will come round to us all, unless we die first, and that is a dreadful future for those amongst us who have many years to live. It is the dystopian nightmare becoming established.

  6. EXCUSE me but don’t we pay into unemployment benefit’s.AND since we have no choice ;how do we get our money back.THIS is a scam and someone should sue the state of texas.THE reason why the welfare people were’nt bothered is because FLORIDA has already lost a lawsuit that went all way to the supreme court.IT came out that in the year drug testing took place;the amonut of people who were diqualified save the state about 3o;ooo dollars;but the drug testing company charged them 112,000 dollars.

    1. Whoa!

      Slow down a bit Robert.

      The Employer pays the majority of unemployment benefits (UI). The State will cover under certain circumstances such as when an employer has gone out of business. Take a look at a paycheck for deductions; unlikely you will find any for UI.

  7. Absolutely! They’ve been working on this cash-cow for some time. They want lots and lots of drug tests. Never mind that the workers passed drug tests and worked to their employer’s satisfaction to EARN the unemployment benefit.

    This is the kind of thing that makes the GOP look really out of step. They’re all about liberty until there are billions of tax dollars to be made, and suddenly they’re lackeys for lobbyists.

    1. If anyone is EVER coerced into admission of fault before a charge: example: dwi test, car search, piss test, hair test, etc……….put the onus on the one requesting the search. what that means if you are asked to do any of these things, adamantly state you want them vetted of the same exact scenario before they scrutinize YOU.

  8. One good thing about this site: it makes us use our rudimentary math skills before we can post a comment!…lol.

    Btw- have a happy and safe memorial day holiday everyone. hug a veteran if you have the chance. let them know their service is/was appreciated!.

      1. Good for him/lol!. and you too!…….but its just not the same : (
        thanx to you and diggerdan.

  9. Obviously a piece of “legislation” like this was promoted by the drug testing lobby, with an assist from the typical grandstanding politicos bravely “taking a stand” against an issue that doesn’t exist (and one that their brain-dead constituents will blindly get behind without a second’s thought). There’s no evidence to suggest that “drug users” are somehow “gaming” the unemployment system anywhere. In my state you cannot collect unemployment benefits unless you’re unemployed through no fault of your own (and they do indeed investigate), plus you need to have worked enough during the year prior to qualify. Ridiculous laws like this reinforce the false belief that “the unemployed” are by definition suspect and need to be proven “worthy” of “our tax dollars” before we “help” them.

  10. What Bullshit…..

    ALL POLITICIANS SHOULD BE DRUG TESTED BEFORE

    BEING ALLOWED INTO ANY POLITICAL OFFICE.

    The country would clean up pretty damn fast.

    Its time to go after the REAL problem…. AND IT IS NOT US….
    ITS THEM!!!

    1. Being that politicians are probably stockholders in many, if not all of these drug testing companies, why would you expect any of their test results to come back anything but negative?

      Even if they’re not stockholders, same results.

    1. Mark, perhaps we disagree. That’s OK. I will stand next to you and defend your right to have an opinion I don’t share. But I hope that rather than look for issues we differ on, maybe it’s time we focus on where we can agree. Let’s look for things to unite us. In these troubled times, we must remember…united we can stand, divided we will surely fall. Have a great Memorial day my friend.

      1. Thanks Scott
        Yes we can agree to disagree and I would be honored to have you or anyone else from FTT stand with me as we fight the evil that’s trying to remove Our GOD and Our God given rights. Molon Labe ! Come and take them mother fuc*ers!

  11. Stand in an elevator with someone that is smoking pot and you are indirectly smoking pot yourself! and so a few weeks later you get tested and found to have smoked pot! and lose your job with no unemployment benefit!
    Other possibility, someone could give you a normal smoke (that has had pot added to itwithout your knowledge) or could give you a pot biscuit!

    1. Yea unlikely but perhaps maybe. Just remember Xu that the brain has to produce the drug to be able to get high on a drug and so there fore if your brain/body is over or under producing a chemical you may just fail a drug test and not even use drugs.

  12. All recepiants of any federal monies involved in welfare payments of any kind would be drug tested and also requiried to have a photo ID and be approved for American citizens only.

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