SC: Drug testing candidates closer to becoming law
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 at 9:04 pm | By: Radical Russ
S.C. Politics Today
Drug testing candidates closer to becoming lawA key [South Carolina] Senate committee moved Tuesday to make drug testing mandatory for all candidates seeking elective public office.
The bill, passed easily by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but only after considerable debate, requires candidates for elective office to submit to a drug screen within 35 days of their election.
“Why don’t we get them to take a lie detector test to say they’ve never been to prostitute?” inquired Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, who questioned the bill’s effectiveness.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Georgia drug test law for elected officials, citing the state’s lack of a historical pattern of such abuse.
“I can support the concept because I’m for a drug-free America,” said Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington. “But this is a bit of a stretch.”
Yes, drug testing for people who want to run for elected office in South Carolina. Not for people who have been elected; this is even if you wish to run for office. And since drug screening overwhelmingly targets cannabis consumers, they may as well just call this the South Carolina Marijuana Disenfranchisement Act of 2008.
They floated bills like this here in Oregon as well. Had they all passed, no person legally using medical marijuana could have been an elected official, a policeman, a teacher, or work anywhere in state, county, or municipal government.
Topics: Drug Testing, South Carolina
