Drug Testing For Child Support Measure Killed In Iowa

Iowa State Sen. Mark Chelgren introduced a measure Thursday that would have required parents receiving child support to submit to drug tests at the request of the person making the payments, the Des Moines Register reports. The Republican lawmaker said that a constituent had come to him worried that his ex was using child support money to buy illegal drugs.

According to the Register, "some Democratic senators openly laughed as Chelgren made the proposal." Chelgren withdrew his amendment, but he still has a drug testing for state welfare provision that will be debated Friday.

"We shouldn’t be ducking our head and running away every time there’s a difficult issue coming up," he said.

It was not the first time Republicans have pushed harsh drug testing legislation. The Arizona Senate recently passed a measure that would require the jobless to pee in cups in order to receive unemployment insurance, and more than a dozen other states have considered unemployment drug testing laws. Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill last month that allows random drug testing of state workers, and his controversial drug testing for welfare law has opened him up to ridicule and scrutiny.

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Comments

[fielectric]

03:03 PM on 04/14/2012

Many companies classify themselves as drug free and randomly test their employees and test all new hires. It's actually a matter of safety. Who would want to work next to a druggie who may do something unsafe on the job and jeopardize a co worker? Is it safe for the public to have a drugged up parent or government worker or welfare or food stamp recipient? Hard to say yes to that. Then why not test??

[shade100]

11:09 PM on 04/17/2012

Fine then start by testing congress.

[bobnsue6063]

11:53 AM on 04/14/2012

I think requiring drug rehab would be a more effective tool. Children would then have a parent that is not using. It also allows the children to recieve the money to buy clothes, food and other necessities. We are hurting the children here.

[julstrom44444]

09:56 PM on 04/13/2012

I served 26 years in the US Navy and Navy Reserve. I, and all my shipmates were subject to random drug tests the entire time. This we did in order to lay our lives on the line and possibly die serving our country. If we had tested positive the right to die for our country was taken away from us. I don't see why asking someone to randomly be drug tested is such a terrible thing to do. Asking them to do it every "payday" may be a bit much but with random testing, it should keep the recipients away from drugs. I am running for Congress in November and in my platform I want more accountability and monitoring from everything from oil platform inspections and welfare recipients to medicare recipients. Better monitoring will save us millions from the cheats and slackers.

[Lisainseattle]

11:32 PM on 04/13/2012

Wow! The police state you long for won't save nearly as much as ending a pointless war or two.

[I am just saying]

06:40 AM on 04/14/2012

You just might be suprised.

[Watching rock grow]

09:43 AM on 04/14/2012

Julstrom the big difference is you signed up for whatever the Gov wanted to do with you. As in remember the testing of LSD?

Citizens don’t normally sign up for whatever the Gov wants to do with them. It is one of the reasons, my own father served 14months in a POW camp to keep Americans free!

Hopefully, you will regain your sense of protecting the American public instead of grabbing power to dictate to it as you were dictated too for 26 years. Otherwise, the loudest voice against you, might be mine.

[Mark5301]

09:52 PM on 04/13/2012

It's common family court practice to order drug testing any time a woman claims her ex is using, and if he refuses he often finds himself robbed of his visitation. The entire family court system is a kangaroo court and an embarrassment.

[Peter Gatliff]

08:39 PM on 04/13/2012

Back in the 1970's and 1980's Iowa was a Great place to live. See what happens when Fascism takes over local governments. Taken right out of the history books of how Mussolini and the Fascist took over Italy. All Politics Is Local!!

[KJ Pierson]

09:28 PM on 04/13/2012

Yes, because heaven forbid a man would like to see his child support money spent on the children and not on the woman's drug habit.

[Lisainseattle]

11:34 PM on 04/13/2012

and it's an awesome way to harass and humiliate someone for revenge and control.

[Watching rock grow]

09:50 AM on 04/14/2012

As if a bitter ex- is up to fairness! LOL I would have far less problem with this intent if there had been like a million fathers instead of just one!

[Sean Lucas]

06:08 PM on 04/13/2012

What a twit. How about a law forcing deadbeats who claim they can't afford child support to get drug tested to make sure THEY aren't spending the child support money on drugs.

[mychoiceNV]

05:43 PM on 04/13/2012

Where is the 2nd part of the law that allows a parent receiving child support to request a drug test of the paying parent? Because if they can afford drugs then they sure can afford more towards the child.

[I am just saying]

06:42 AM on 04/14/2012

Another "Give me more!" person I see.

[mychoiceNV]

12:57 PM on 04/15/2012

Actually I am a "Give me less" person. For every new law created there has to be more gov to control and more laws made for to be equal across the board. You do believe in equality don't you? Why give one parent rights to accuse and not the other. Use what is on the books now or work to change it so that it is better.

[sylandjus]

05:18 PM on 04/13/2012

How about testing the non-custodian parents who refuse to pay child support?! My ex owes over $40,000.00 to me and was using crack cocaine off and on; plus he's an alcholic. He didn't pay support for most of our daughter's life and now wants me to sign off my Child support. I think not!!

[rolavine]

06:08 PM on 04/13/2012

It's sort of funny you get a divorce and there is a decree and all of a sudden the terminally irresponsible are legally required to be ..... responsible. Yeah that's going to work.

[frant100]

04:57 PM on 04/13/2012

Don't stop there. Drug test for all federal aid and State Aid Welfare programs.
Also stop money to illegal aliens for anything. Let them be deported, reapply lawfully and enter legally.

[KrassC]

05:55 PM on 04/13/2012

Maybe we could start testing HP comment posters first? What say you?

[I am just saying]

06:43 AM on 04/14/2012

Go ahead...I have nothing to hide.

[todd walters]

08:50 AM on 04/14/2012

and you should be the first one..!!!

[Darreltheman]

06:09 PM on 04/13/2012

You sir, are no Democrat !! LOL

[RMS Queen Mary]

04:39 PM on 04/13/2012

How about drug-testing those who make over $250,000.00 per year?
Dirty urine = Bye-bye tax breaks.
If you have money for drugs, you don't need any tax breaks.

Much more economical than testing poor people, just because there are so many more poor people to have to test--and it would be lot more profitable for the government to yank billions of dollars in tax breaks from the rich than the chump change they would get from denying poor people their lousy $600.00 welfare check.

[Darreltheman]

06:11 PM on 04/13/2012

You, yes even you can have the same tax breaks: get off yopur behind and work for the $$$. Easy as 1-2-3.

[RMS Queen Mary]

04:03 PM on 04/16/2012

"You, yes even you can have the same tax breaks: get off yopur behind and work for the $$$. Easy as 1-2-3."

Ummm...I'm college-educated and already work an average of 55 hours per week on my TWO jobs, plus sing in a band on the weekends to bring in "extra" income that's anything BUT extra, so you can get off your high horse. Ok, I'm ready for my tax breaks...

[Darreltheman]

06:11 PM on 04/13/2012

your*

[RJ9255]

04:34 PM on 04/13/2012

While we're at it, I think all sitting politicians, of any party, should be randomly drug tested after they return from their frequent legislative breaks.

[KJ Pierson]

09:30 PM on 04/13/2012

Shouldn't be random, should be all inclusive, including all staff.

[nolib1937]

04:34 PM on 04/13/2012

ALL liberals should undergo drug testing randomly and frequently!

[KrassC]

05:56 PM on 04/13/2012

Yes, only liberals use drugs. We also watch all the porn too.

[ahetty2000]

11:02 PM on 04/13/2012

So should ALL republicans since they are the ones REMOVED from reality!!!

[Lisainseattle]

11:37 PM on 04/13/2012

and their leader is a known drug addict

[nolib1937]

04:33 PM on 04/13/2012

Sen. Mark Chelgren for President ..............

[mothra666]

04:30 PM on 04/13/2012

So, drug test the mothers and then make the kids wards of the state. Small government?

[KrassC]

05:56 PM on 04/13/2012

If they were truly for small gubbermint, drugs would be legal to begin with.

[Darreltheman]

06:14 PM on 04/13/2012

Butterflys are free, all else costs someone. Just the amount varies. So sit back get the welfare check and drink the liberal Kool- Aid. Have a nice life on us.

[KJ Pierson]

09:31 PM on 04/13/2012

Better than a drugged up mother putting the kids money to her habit.

[Lisainseattle]

11:39 PM on 04/13/2012

yep! better to put them with strangers and pediphiles cuz mom smoked a little pot on Sat night

[inspmark]

04:27 PM on 04/13/2012

For a political party that supposedly stands for "individual rights", the right wing certainly has spent a great deal of time ignoring that and creating bill after bill that reduces our rights to freely vote, receive appropriate health care benefits, achieve pay equality for all, and to eliminate worker's collective bargaining rights. Seems to me the right won't be happy until we are working 60 hour workweeks with no lunch breaks and no benefits...and barely surviving while the rich simply move our jobs overseas. Mark my words: in November we will take our states back as well as the House from these Middle Class killers.