Drug test for taxpayer-funded jobs in West Virginia
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin unveiled his legislative agenda last week by asking for mandatory drug testing of workers who try to enroll in taxpayer-funded job training programs.
Drug testing in the workplace should be a priority for any business owner, as it contributes to a more productive and efficient work environment. The Department of Labor suggests that “Seventy-three percent of all current drug users aged 18 and older (8.3 million adults) are employed. This includes 6.7 million full-time workers and 1.6 million part-time workers.” Surely reason enough to implement drug testing in many situations, both in the workplace and in job training?
State of the State address
Democrat Tomblin’s annual State of the State address marked the beginning of the 60-day legislative session. In his speech, Tomblin said taxpayer-funded job training programs would now require drug tests before people could enroll in them. Tomblin said he had learned that “far too often” graduates of the state and federal job training programs do not get jobs because they cannot pass a drug test.
“When this happens, we have lost valuable education dollars, we have lost a productive member of our community, and we have lost the opportunity to strengthen our economy,” Tomblin said. ”I will therefore require that individuals pass a drug screening prior to enrolling in our state’s taxpayer-funded workforce training programs.”
He went on the conclude by saying that “As leaders of this state, we need to understand that our mission is to create a business climate that fosters job development. It is our responsibility to have the discipline, the know-how, the determination and most importantly, the pride, to take steps that will unleash the engines of our economic future.”
Drug screening
Welfare drug testing has been a hot topic of debate in many states for the last year or so, and drug screening for those in taxpayer funded industries is not far behind.
What do you think about drug screening in these circumstances?
