Friends and neighbors,

Last week, the Minnesota Senate voted on a Health and Human Services bill. Inside it was a provision to eliminate random drug testing for recipients of the Minnesota Family Investment Program. This is Minnesota’s version of welfare, our primary cash assistance program for low-income people.

I offered an amendment to keep the drug testing requirement in place. Democrats voted it down.

As you know, I spent 13 years in jail ministry, so I have seen this up close. When someone is in the grip of addiction, they lose the ability to make free choices. They will do anything to feed it, legal or illegal.

The answer here is not to remove accountability. We need more accountability. We should be giving people a reason to get clean, and knowing that their benefits are tied to staying drug-free is a pretty good reason.

And yes: If you are receiving taxpayer dollars to help cover your basic needs, it is reasonable to expect you to stay clean.

Watch the floor debate here: https://youtube.com/shorts/8l4I9HnMUnQ?f

As always, thank you for staying involved and engaged. If you have any questions, please reach out any time.