Drug testing for candidates could become law

The Senate substituted a bill for a joint resolution Wednesday to create a voluntary drug testing program for candidates seeking elected office, including the General Assembly, judges and other public officials.

If passed, candidates seeking office would have to undergo a drug test 30 days before filing for an office, or up to 10 days after, and submit the results to officials they filed with for office.

South Carolina could become the only state with such a provision, officials said. "There's no doubt about it, we're plowing new ground," said Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Cherokee, who sponsored the bill.

Senators had considered a making drug testing for candidates mandatory, but repeatedly were warned the provision was unconstitutional.

Peeler cited the state's history of elected officials using drugs, citing primarily the involvement of two House members, a state judge and a state treasurer.

Comments

[wtf]

Voluntary?

Isn't it already voluntary with out having to waste time passing a law? Nobody is stopping anyone from taking a test themselves and then publically releasing the results. What's nexy? Passing a law making it voluntary to vote?

Side note- whose going to pay for the testing? The article didn't say.

[GW]

I can see where this is necessary. Be sure to include alcohol for consistency. Any responsible, sober legislator has to be on drugs to allow more handguns in the hands of large segment of the population. I can see how all the stuff they snort and drink clouds their vision and judgment. The sooner the law is passed the better off this state will be.

[w]

kkk rednecks fine out what loobbist they their money from and file charges file charge oon the judges that let them get away

[state employee]

How about drug testing for state employees? This is not done randomly or even before hiring. You'd be surprised how many Thomas Ravenels there are in high and mid-level positions in our government's agencies. Drug testing is common practice in the private sector and should be even more so in a place where our tax dollars are paying the workers.

[R.A. Seaborn]

Pass this law. Almost every employer in the country drug tests it's employees. "We The People" are an employer of our elected officials and they should be drug tested as well. Why is this not already part of getting the "job"? One more word ...Ravenal...Why are American's memories so short?

[Jacquie Siebrandt]

Great Idea to drug test wannabe elected officials. I think all public officials, including and up to a sitting president should be drug tested. I also think it should be by hair samples. Urine analysis is too easy to give false results and so are the mouth swabs.

[Citizen4Rights]

This law does nothing. It is voluntary as it should be. Everyone is easy to judge, and think that drugs are bad. That is what our schools teach, but pain killers have the same thing in them as cocaine, and others. Bayers company number one seller of all time was heroin. Yes, that is right Bayer Company make heroin and morphine. People drugs are not bad, and people that use drugs are not bad. Some people just do not know the correct way to use them, the same way some people do not know how to use prescriptions. Some drugs that are illegal have been used for thousands of years and used in religious settings. If the Christian groups would think about it, they do not want the government to tell them what religion to practice. These groups are allowing for more government control, and then get upset with no pray in school, no moment of silence, and removal in some places of "In God We Trust". I know we are in the Bible belt, but what would these Christians do if their religion was illegal tomorrow. Would they still practice because they feel God is telling them to break the law, or would they stop because the bible does say obey the laws of the land, and give Caesar what is Caesar’s. Just some thoughts for those hard toe groups.