Arkansas Senate passes unemployment drug testing bill

[red states rule]

Good news. Now lets test welfare recipients





LITTLE ROCK, Ark (Reuters) - The Republican-led Arkansas state Senate approved a measure on Monday that would require random drug testing of Arkansas residents who receive state unemployment benefits - a plan that the state's Democratic governor said could violate federal law.

The bill, which passed on a 25-5 vote and now goes to a House committee, could affect about 85,000 Arkansas residents currently receiving unemployment benefits.

If the measure becomes law, those seeking unemployment benefits would have to sign a waiver and allow for random drug testing. Those who refuse to sign or who test positive for drugs would not be entitled to benefits.

Some other states have adopted measures making a person discharged from work for failing an employer's drug test on the job ineligible to collect employment benefits, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In Texas, Governor Rick Perry (http://www.courant.com/topic/politics/government/rick-perry-PEHST001561.topic) has a proposal in that state's legislature that would require drug tests for both unemployment and welfare (http://www.courant.com/topic/politics/government/temporary-assistance-for-needy-families-ORGOV000325.topic) recipients. But it has not yet passed a chamber.

The Arkansas bill's sponsor, Republican state Senator Jeremy Hutchinson, said that his measure was "more of an enforcement mechanism than anything else."

"Arkansas law states that you have to be adequately seeking employment, and by that you have to pass a drug test since so many employers require drug tests," Hutchinson said.

He said that 80 percent of the state's employers require a drug test. The unemployment testing, Hutchinson said, would cost the state less than $30,000 a year to administer

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-arkansas-politicsbre938012-20130408,0,7545587.story

[tailfins]

Good news. Now lets test welfare recipients

As long as they don't do what Florida tried to do: Make the applicant pay for the drug test and only reimburse the expense if the applicant is approved. It became a de facto application fee. Of course that got judicially overturned.

[Syrenn]

Good for AR!

i agree... hopefully they extend this to welfare....and the rest of the country follows suit!

[aboutime]

Good for AR!

i agree... hopefully they extend this to welfare....and the rest of the country follows suit!

Sounds like a Great, First Step. Just watch the number of anti-everything responses. Some may even call it Unconstitutional...until they remember. Each State also has their own constitution.
It is going to be declared Discriminatory...because it will hurt those Poor people who have no job, but can afford their COKE, CRACK, and POT purchased illegally with State, and Federal Assistance Checks.

[red states rule]

Sounds like a Great, First Step. Just watch the number of anti-everything responses. Some may even call it Unconstitutional...until they remember. Each State also has their own constitution.
It is going to be declared Discriminatory...because it will hurt those Poor people who have no job, but can afford their COKE, CRACK, and POT purchased illegally with State, and Federal Assistance Checks.

Dems are PO'd over this. Just think, they can't spend their unemployment money of pot!!!! Now that would harm the local economy since people would not be buying as much snack food and candy

[aboutime]

Dems are PO'd over this. Just think, they can't spend their unemployment money of pot!!!! Now that would harm the local economy since people would not be buying as much snack food and candy


Kinda makes you wonder how many of those UPSET Dems have a PICTURE ID as well????


By the way. They probably never have needed unemployment money. You need to have had a JOB to be eligible for unemployment.
But Welfare, Food Stamps, and Cheating Social Security won't really hinder their desire to buy Illegal drugs in the neighborhood. ACORN and Obama make sure that never happens.

[tailfins]

Kinda makes you wonder how many of those UPSET Dems have a PICTURE ID as well????


By the way. They probably never have needed unemployment money. You need to have had a JOB to be eligible for unemployment.
But Welfare, Food Stamps, and Cheating Social Security won't really hinder their desire to buy Illegal drugs in the neighborhood. ACORN and Obama make sure that never happens.

Here's the bigger news:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-04-09/ark-dot-senate-oks-unemployment-testing-benefit-cut
Ark. Senate OKs unemployment testing, benefit cut



The Senate voted 19-12 Monday to cut the maximum weekly benefits the state pays in unemployment benefits

Sen. Bart Hester's proposal would cut the maximum weekly benefits the state pays out from $451 to $325. Hester, R-Cave City, said his proposal would put Arkansas' benefits more in line with surrounding states.

As a comparison, in Massachusetts, you can easily top $700 per week:
http://massresources.org/unemployment-benefits.html

The state maximum benefit in Massachusetts, effective October 7, 2012, is $674 per week. The maximum weekly benefit is recalculated each year, effective the first Sunday in October. (For details, see Benefit Rate and Benefit Credit (http://www.mass.gov/lwd/unemployment-insur/filing-a-claim/initial-claim/how-your-benefits-are-determined/benefit-rate-and-credit.html) on the Workforce Development web site. The maximum weekly benefit equals 57.5% of the state average weekly wage for the previous year ending in March.)
If you have children and you are their main support, you will also get a dependency allowance (http://massresources.org/popup.cfm?id_w=202). This allowance is usually $25 per child per week. The dependency allowance cannot be more than half of your weekly benefit amount, no matter how many children you have.

[aboutime]

Here's the bigger news:
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2013-04-09/ark-dot-senate-oks-unemployment-testing-benefit-cut
Ark. Senate OKs unemployment testing, benefit cut





As a comparison, in Massachusetts, you can easily top $700 per week:
http://massresources.org/unemployment-benefits.html


$700 a week? That's more per week than I, and my wife both earned together when I was still in the navy, and she worked part-time. Shucks. WHY would anyone want to find a job, or go to work IF...YOU, and I are paying them to stay home????

[red states rule]

and what about people being paid 99 weeks NOT to work????

[aboutime]

and what about people being paid 99 weeks NOT to work????


It's all part of the Growing OBAMA Legacy. The more people he, and the Democrats can claim are in NEED. This is why Obama doesn't care about REALLY finding jobs for the people. If they are dependent upon government. He hopes the Unemployment rates STAY HIGH. The higher the Democrat Votes go come election time.

What person collecting free money from Obama would want it to end, and make them responsible for their own welfare, or life when they get everything handed to them...and WE....The rest of America pays their way????

[tailfins]

$700 a week? That's more per week than I, and my wife both earned together when I was still in the navy, and she worked part-time. Shucks. WHY would anyone want to find a job, or go to work IF...YOU, and I are paying them to stay home????

You find a job to keep skills current. Massachusetts Unemployment can make you like the frog in the pot of water on the fire. I have a friend that fried his career because of it. He maxed out in 2006 and hasn't been able to get back into IT since. The ideal scenario is to work for a consulting firm, staying busy about nine months out of the year. If you even earn a single dollar in MA with more wages in other states, you can file a combined wage claim and still get the $700+ per week.


It's all part of the Growing OBAMA Legacy. The more people he, and the Democrats can claim are in NEED. This is why Obama doesn't care about REALLY finding jobs for the people. If they are dependent upon government. He hopes the Unemployment rates STAY HIGH. The higher the Democrat Votes go come election time.

What person collecting free money from Obama would want it to end, and make them responsible for their own welfare, or life when they get everything handed to them...and WE....The rest of America pays their way????

To have good housing choices....
The extra 20K per year one gets from Massachusetts Unemployment barely covers the difference in housing compared to a place like Texas. Living in old run down buildings grinds on you after awhile. Apparently everybody living in a run down dump is good for the environment. At least that's the given reason to make getting a building permit harder than winning the lottery.