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Both Major Candidates for Governor Want To Drug Test Welfare Recipients

Democratic nominee for governor Jack Conway says he supports drug testing some welfare recipients in Kentucky.

He joins his Republican opponent Matt Bevin in advocating for some drug testing of those who receive public benefits in order to save money and help get people to get off drugs.

Michael Aldridge, executive director of ACLU Kentucky, says such a policy directly targets low-income communities.

“We’re not requiring drug testing for any other community that receives government benefits," noted Aldridge.  "We don’t require senior citizens before they get Medicaid to be drug tested and we don’t require executives in banks to be drug tested before we bail out their bank system.”

Legislation calling for drug testing welfare recipients has been proposed in recent years, but failed to win passage in the Kentucky General Assembly.

There are 13 states that already drug test welfare recipients, most recently Arkansas and Wisconsin.

Ryland Barton is the Managing Editor for Collaboratives. He's covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas. He grew up in Lexington.

Email Ryland at rbarton@lpm.org.