By MICHAEL BRICK
Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A lawmaker is demanding financial evidence to support a plan for government-sponsored drug-testing of laid-off-workers.
The bill came up for debate in a legislative committee on Wednesday morning.
It targets workers who have been on the job long enough to qualify for unemployment insurance payments. Currently, only workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own qualify for payments.
If the bill passes, a state agency will perform new drug tests on those workers in certain industries. The agency will revoke unemployment insurance payments to workers with positive test results.
Republican Sen. Tommy Williams said his bill will make sure workers are ready for employment.
But Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis asked for statistics to show the new program would be worth the cost.
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