skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Bipartisan Opposition Grows for SD Welfare Drug Testing

play audio
Play

Monday, January 25, 2016   

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota residents who apply for public assistance programs would have to pass a drug test before receiving help, such as food stamps, if new legislation passes.

Republican state Rep. Lynne DiSanto introduced the bill late last week. She says the idea is to ensure that South Dakota taxpayers are not, in her words, "subsidizing people's drug habits."

However, the move already faces opposition from some of her House colleagues, including Democratic Rep. Spencer Hawley.

"I don't support it,” he states. “We've had this bill before in South Dakota and when our Department of Social Services testified in the past, the cost of this makes it really expensive."

The bill would require applicants for public benefits under age 65 to pay at least a $25 fee to take the drug test. If they are denied benefits, the proposal would allow them to contest it.

Last year, the head of the state's Department of Social Services opposed a similar bill, saying there is no evidence that people who receive assistance use drugs more than any other segment of the population.

Hawley adds these types of drug-testing laws haven't had good outcomes in other states.

"They have found after this major cost to do all the testing, it affects 1 to 2 percent of the recipients,” he points out. “So, that isn't a problem. Just because a person has low income doesn't mean they're a drug user."

State Sen. Betty Olson is a primary sponsor of the bill in the Senate. Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard has criticized the proposal, calling it "somewhat insulting."




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021