Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced in a Feb. 2 press conference that he is exploring all legal options to sue the state should Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to administer mandatory drug tests to childless Wisconsin adults seeking certain state benefits move forward.
The governor’s office claims the law — which would affect adults seeking benefits such as W-2, Food Share, BadgerCare, and in some cases, unemployment — would better prepare people for the workforce.
Parisi stated that in Dane County alone, as many as 10,000 people could fall under the drug-testing program, which he claims would cost more than $750,000 in federal aid per year. The Walker administration has yet to release projected costs or savings.
The governor is expected to announce the idea in his two-year state budget address. If the Legislature approves Walker’s plan, he would still need to ask for a waiver from the federal government in order to test recipients in the Food Share and Medicaid programs.
