Drug Screening For Public Beneficiaries Approved By Budget Committee

Republicans on the Legislature’s budget committee voted on Tuesday to require drug testing for unemployment insurance, food stamps and BadgerCare.

People who fail the drug test would be eligible for drug treatment, though it’s unclear what that treatment would look like or how much it would cost. Similar plans in other states have faced legal challenges, and the expenses have outweighed any savings.

Middleton Democratic Sen. Jon Erpenbach said the plan was just for show.

“Let’s be realistic about this. What it is, is it’s just more of sound bite that’s going to cost taxpayers a lot of money,” he said.

Brookfield Republican Rep. Dale Kooyenga disagreed.

“The reason we do that is not because we want to slap someone down and punish them and make their life miserable. The reason we do that is because we care,” said Kooyenga.

Drug testing would also be required for job training in the state’s W-2 program.

Editor’s Note: This story, originally by the Associated Press, has been updated with reporting from Wisconsin Public Radio.