Gov. Rick Scott is being sued in federal court by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida over the state’s new law requiring drug testing of welfare recipients. The ACLU asserts the law violates constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure by the government.
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Palm Beach Post reports that according to Florida’s Department of Children and Families, about 2.5 percent of welfare applicants have tested positive for drugs and been denied benefits since the law was enacted in July, though family members may still qualify for assistance.
In the recently filed ACLU case, however, despite being approved for benefits through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, 35-year-old Navy veteran Luis Lebron and his 4-year-old son were denied aid after Lebron refused to take a drug test.
The ACLU had already filed suit against Scott over his executive order requiring drug testing of all new state employees along with random screening of current workers. Scott has suspended that testing pending resolution of the suit.
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