A federal judge has ruled that Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) violated the Constitution last year when he ordered drug testing for state government workers.
U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro ruled on Wednesday that suspicionless drug testing testing for state workers violated the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment ban on unreasonable search and seizure. Scott had suspended his order after it had been challenged by the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents about 40,000 of the 85,000 state workers who would have been affected by the order.
“The Governor can’t order the state to search people’s bodily fluids for no reason — the Constitution prohibits that sort of government intrusion,” Howard Simon, director of the Florida ACLU, said in a statement. “And the Governor can’t demand that people surrender their constitutional rights for the privilege of working for the state or receiving some other government benefit.”
Scott said Thursday he would appeal the ruling, according to the Florida Times-Union. “As I have repeatedly explained, I believe that drug testing state employees is a common sense means of ensuring a safe, efficient and productive workforce … That is why so many private employers drug test, and why the public and Florida’s taxpayers overwhelmingly support this policy.”
SOURCE: Rick Scott Drug Testing Executive Order Ruled Unconstitutional By Federal Judge.