Drug testing for Florida state employees

Gov. Rick Scott signed an executive order Tuesday that will require random drug testing of many current state employees as well as pre-hire testing for applicants, according to the LA Times. “Floridians deserve to know that those in public service, whose salaries are paid with taxpayer dollars, are part of a drug-free workplace,” Scott said. Under Scott’s order, current employees in agencies that answer to the governor, would be subject to periodic random screening. The executive order signed by Scott says the tests would require testing of each employee “at least quarterly.” The random testing of current employees will begin in 60 days under the order. “A better, healthier, more productive workforce is something taxpayers deserve,” said Scott spokesman Brian Hughes. Effective immediately, any new hires in governor’s agencies would also be subject to pre-hire drug testing under the order. But the ACLU contends that random searches of all employees aren’t allowed. “I’m not sure why Gov. Scott does not know that the policy he recreated by executive order today has already been declared unconstitutional,” ACLU of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon said in a statement. “The state of Florida cannot force people to surrender their constitutional rights in order to work for the state. Absent any evidence of illegal drug use, or assigned a safety-sensitive job, people have a right to be left alone.”]]>