Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott appears to be headed for a legal fight over the signing of an executive order last week that requires drug testing for many current state employees and job applicants.
But the public wants the policy, Scott was quoted as saying in a
Miami Herald article on Monday. It’s a protection the state should have just like many private employers do, he said. “It’s the right policy, public policy,’’ Scott said.
Legal scholars and attorneys say that the governor’s order contradicts what many consider settled law when it comes to drug testing of government employees, the Herald reported.
Scott wants all employees and prospective hires in agencies that answer to him to be tested. The order could affect as many as 100,000 employees. The governor is also supporting a state Senate bill that would require all welfare recipients over 18 years of age to pay for their drug test. If the bill becomes law, it would affect about 58,000 people.
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