A Georgia law requiring drug tests for some welfare recipients, considered the toughest such law in the nation, was thrown into limbo this week after an Atlanta federal appeals court ruling struck down related legislation in Florida.
The court ruled that Florida’s attempt to require all recipients of poverty aid to undergo drug tests was unconstitutional, putting Georgia leaders in a bind even though this state’s law was different from its neighbor’s version.
Now state leaders, who delayed enforcing Georgia’s legislation until the court decided Florida’s case, face the tough question of whether to implement the law. They face a likely legal reprisal from the bill’s critics if they do so — and pressure from the proposal’s conservative backers if they don’t.
“It’s time now to enforce it. It was passed by both bodies of the Legislature and signed by the governor,” said state Rep. Greg Morris, the Vidalia Republican who introduced the bill. “I couldn’t imagine a reason not to move forward.”
About the Author
