County Supervisors place measure on Nov. 5 ballot to tie public assistance to drug tests

[RandySF]

The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to add a ballot measure requiring county aid recipients to undergo drug screening.

Measure R, also known as “Illegal Substance Dependence Screening and Treatment for Recipients of County Public Assistance,” specifically targets single adults receiving essential living expenses from the county Human Service Agency’s General Assistance program.

District 3 Supervisor Tom Patti brought the ballot proposal to the Board of Supervisors to not only promote their ongoing stance supporting individuals in accessing drug rehabilitation while bringing accountability.

”If we can prompt that person and save lives here in San Joaquin County and use this as a tool to help us in engage that person and get their support to participate, I believe this is worth supporting,” Patti said.


https://stocktonia.org/news/local-government/2024/08/11/county-supervisors-place-measure-on-nov-5-ballot-to-tie-public-assistance-to-drug-tests/

[LauraInLA]

1. Isn't this against the law?!

[Voltaire2]

2. Surely if we make drug addicts even more miserable

they will behave as we demand.

[SunSeeker]

3. Of course, Tom Patti is a Republican.

The San Joaquin Valley is pretty red.

[LauraInLA]

4. I was interested to see, that this is in conjunction with a measure passed in San Francisco!

[SunSeeker]

5. SF's only applies to recipients 65 and under with no dependent children.

It is unclear from the article if the San Joaquin measure will have the same limitations. One thing is clear, as the article notes, San Joaquin County does not have the resources to pay for the necessary drug testing of public assistance recipients, let alone the costly drug rehab that San Francisco provides. This is not "in conjunction with" what San Francisco passed. This may just be perfomative theatrics by Patti to play to his Trumper base.

[LauraInLA]

6. Oh, I see! The article made it sound as though they were adopting this measure to

“come in line” with SF. I did notice the age discrepancy you mention.