Columbus –State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) will soon introduce legislation that will require members of the Ohio General Assembly to be randomly drug tested once a year in order to receive their pay.
“If we are going to be sincere in preventing individuals from obtaining public funds while also using illegal drugs, then we should start with the people who have the greatest impact on state dollars, politicians,” said Senator Turner.
The legislation would require drug testing of all General Assembly members once a year, but the drug tests will be administered on a random basis. Legislators would pay for the drug testing first and then they would be reimbursed for the cost of the test once a negative test result is received. A refusal to submit to drug testing would result in the forfeiture of the politicians pay.
“As members of the General Assembly we have a great deal of responsibility. Millions of tax payer dollars are spent based on legislation that we pass. Elected officials should be held to same level of accountability as a single mother receiving food stamps,” said Senator Turner. “If we want to ‘protect’ the tax payers investments, then what we ask of our citizens shouldn’t be different from what we ask from our politicians.”
If the elected official tests positive for illegal drug use, then they would be automatically enrolled into the Emergency Assistance Program (EAP) through the state of Ohio. The elected official will forfeit their pay check and will not be compensated for future service until they have undergone drug treatment through EAP and have tested negative for illegal drugs 30 days after the original positive test.
