Public News Service – Advocates for impoverished people are urging West Virginia lawmakers to oppose two bills being heard in a House committee Thursday, that they claim punish low-income people and drug users. Read the full article.
Senate Bill 387 would make permanent a pilot program that screens recipients of the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, for drugs.
Josh Lohnes, food policy research director at West Virginia University, thinks the bill places an unnecessary burden on low-income people and is a waste of taxpayer dollars since not many recipients test positive.
He pointed out the bill would restrict access to cash for the most vulnerable families with children during the pandemic, when they need assistance most.
