Florida’s Rick Scott Abandons Drug Testing Mandate

Posted by | March 5, 2015 14:30 | Filed under: Mark Quincy Adams Politics Top Stories

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Back in in 2011, newly elected Florida Governor Rick Scott introduced a controversial program mandating all who applied for government assistance to take a drug test. Naturally, many were outraged not only because of the oppressive nature of his proposal but also because of some pretty clear conflicts of interest.

Despite the protest, the conservative governor pushed through the mandate. Unsurprisingly, it was a huge waste of taxpayer dollars and a complete failure.

He may be a day late and a dollar short, but the Florida Governor seems to have finally caught on to the obvious. This week the Rick Scott Administration has quietly given up the fight.

The Florida American Civil Liberties Union sued to shoot down the law. A federal judge agreed with the challenge, a ruling that was backed up in December 2014 by the 11th Circuit federal appeals court.

This week was the deadline for the Scott Administration to ask the Supreme Court to weigh in on the matter. The deadline came and went with no move by the administration, the Tampa Bay Times reports. As such, the lower court ruling stands.

“We chose not to appeal this case,” a Scott spokeswoman told the Times. “The governor is continuing to protect Florida children any way he can and create an environment where families can get jobs so they are able to pursue their dreams in safe communities.”

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Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: Mark Quincy Adams

A proud 'pragmatic progressive' Mark Quincy Adams has been a political
talk show host and prolific pontificator since 1992. Find him on Facebook and Twitter @politicalglutton

6 responses to Florida’s Rick Scott Abandons Drug Testing Mandate

  1. tracey marie March 5th, 2015 at 14:32

    Yet other sounthern states are trying to implement the same policy, the hate and stupid are strong in red states

  2. William March 5th, 2015 at 14:38

    Meanwhile in Tennesee

    • jybarz March 5th, 2015 at 15:43

      Another GOP’s “voter fraud” fraud special.

  3. arc99 March 5th, 2015 at 15:00

    Ever notice how right wingers never call it lawless tyranny when the rights of poor people are being infringed.

    This is why I have come to the harsh conclusion that the majority of right wingers really have no core principles, other than supporting anything that liberals oppose and vice versa.

    This drug test shenanigan is a perfect example. If we are going to drug test the poorest people in our nation in order for them to receive taxpayer dollars, why should we not do the same thing to the richest people in the nation who receive taxpayer dollars, such as the CEO’s of defense contractors, or families like that of Michelle Bachmann who received thousands of dollars in farm subsidies.

    An honest person takes the position that they either favor drug testing for all recipients of tax dollars, or they do not.

    A right winger takes the position that they favor drug testing only when it serves their agenda of attacking liberal policies such as the social safety net.

  4. jybarz March 5th, 2015 at 15:53

    He looks like a good candidate for drug testing. He can’t be sober they way he looks all the time.

  5. rg9rts March 6th, 2015 at 04:24

    What did this fiasco cost the state???

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