Walker PHOTO: WSAU
Governor Scott Walker wants more from recipients of unemployment assistance and food stamps. In a second term, Walker would require drug testing for those requesting unemployment assistance. At a stop in Wausau on Monday, Walker said that’s what employers want.
“They tell us they have basic, entry level jobs, where they’d be happy to hire people and train them themselves, except for two problems. They have people that have basic employability skills, and they have people that can’t pass drug tests,” Walker said.
Drug tests would also be required for able bodied adults requesting food stamps. And working-age childless adults receiving food stamps or unemployment benefits would have to participate in employment training or part-time work.
“Over the next two year budget cycle we actually believe it would save us money, because we believe there would be fewer people who would stay on assistance than there have been in the past,” Walker said. “Our goal with all this is ultimately to transition more people into the workplace, because we think it’s better for them, it’s better for employers, and it’s most importantly probably better for the taxpayers.”
The requirements are part of Walker’s “Continuing Wisconsin’s Comeback” outline for the next four years. Walker said he will also:
- Cut property taxes so the levy on a typical home in 2018 is lower than it was in 2010.
- Reduce income taxes so they are lower in 2018 than they are today.
- Provide tax relief for manufacturing and agriculture.
- Fight Obamacare, which is raising health insurance premiums for many in Wisconsin.
- Expand worker training investments.
- Freeze technical college tuition and continue the UW System tuition freeze.
- Establish accountability measures for all schools receiving public funding.
- Establish high standards for students at the local and state level as an alternative to measures set by people outside of Wisconsin.
- Put common sense limits on the time able-bodied, working age childless adults can be on public assistance.