And Check Their Backgrounds Too

This week, State Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson filed a bill that would require drug tests for those receiving unemployment benefits.  This is not a surprise as it was part of the agenda Republicans ran on during the election when they claimed the majority of both chambers for the first time in history.

As expected, the liberal blog-o-sphere is not pleased with this idea.  Their argument basically centers on it being a violation of civil rights that unfairly targets the poor. They also point to states such as Florida where it was tried and did not work.

My colleague Michael Cook also makes an interesting case that if we drug test those receiving unemployment, we should drug test state legislators as well.

On this point, Cook and I agree.  Why not? Fair is fair, right?

In fact, I would go a step further. Let's bring back the proposal from former Rep. Dan Greenberg and do background checks on state candidates as well.  These legislators work for us, so I am all for making sure they are drug-free and also getting a peak at their criminal history before voting on them.

“The argument for this is simple: public access to the criminal histories of government decision-makers is absolutely in the public interest, and the public has a right to know about the criminal past of those who are supposed to act in the interest of the public,” explained Greenberg at the time.

Unfortunately, Greenberg's idea failed to pass largely on party lines with most Republicans voting for it and Democrats in the majority at the time against it.  Interestingly, the most vocal opposition to the bill came from Attorney General Dustin McDaniel.

By the way, I asked Sen. Hutchinson about the drug testing and he tells me – “I don't have a problem with drug testing for elected officials.”