Tell Senator Hatch to Pull Legislation That Calls for Drug Testing the Unemployed

No Drug Testing for the Unemployed

Dear Senator Hatch

You've recently proposed legislation that would encourage drug testing Americans receiving unemployment or welfare. We believe that legislation is a violation of the constitutional rights of our citizens and an insult to the millions of Americans who have been badly hurt by this recession.

As Americans we know you have to have reasonable suspicion of a crime before you search someone. So when did being down on your luck become a crime?

The proposed law is ridiculous and clearly unconstitutional. In fact, other states have tried it and failed. Michigan previously imposed a law requiring all welfare recipients to be drug tested. Drug testing isn't even very successful - especially since marijuana is currently legal for half of all citizens and urine tests don't pick up American's favored drug-of-choice - alcohol. Drug testing is unreliable, but also illegal. Michigan's measure was eventually struck down by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals because no one should have to take a drug test as a condition of receiving a public benefit, the court determined.

Unemployment and welfare are just two of a long list of public benefits that the government hands out. Homeowners aren't required to be drug tested before taking a mortgage deduction on their taxes. Drivers aren't even drug tested before being given a license.

Your measure shows we've started to turn on those who need help the most. The unemployed were once thought of as victims of the recession, and now we're deciding that they don't deserve our sympathy. Instead, they deserve our persecution.

Drug testing is inefficient, ineffective and moveover, illegal. Senator Hatch, we demand you pull this legislation and apologize to the millions of law-abiding Americans that you've assumed are criminals.

[Your name]