2014 Florida Governor's race: on Drugs


Rick Scott: OpEd: Requiring drug testing for welfare is unconstitutional

In 2010, Rick Scott pushed for a law requiring Floridians receiving welfare funds to prove they were drug-free in order to qualify for assistance. This is the kind of loaded issue that motivates the "right" people to go out and vote. The target audience consists of those who have worked hard all their lives, who feel entitled to keep what's theirs, and who resent a government that would take their wealth & redistribute it to others.

A federal district judge ruled that Scott's law was unconstitutional: Blanket drug testing without probable cause amounts to illegal search and seizure. In this ruling, no shades of gray distinguish between rich and poor.

The State of Florida actually lost money on this misbegotten scheme.

Scott says he will appeal the decision. Is he so thick-headed that he doesn't understand he's on the wrong side of the law and good financial sense, or is he proceeding in order to continue ingratiating himself with the "right" voters?

Source: Sun-Sentinel OpEd on 2014 Florida gubernatorial race Jan 5, 2014

  • The above quotations are from 2014 Florida Gubernatorial debates and race coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Drugs.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Rick Scott on Drugs.
  • Click here for more quotes by Charlie Crist on Drugs.
Candidates and political leaders on Drugs:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R)
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Dec 06, 2018