Court Case Article - No Piss Test For Politicians - Drug Testing

NEW ORLEANS (2000) - - It's unconstitutional for Louisiana to require random drug tests from elected officials, a federal appeals court ruled in late December.

The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling striking down the 1997 law, calling it a "well-crafted opinion." The law was signed by Gov. Mike Foster as part of a package requiring anyone receiving "anything of economic value" from the state to submit to drug-testing (High Witness News, Nov. '97). Those laws primarily affect state employees and welfare recipients.

"It's no big surprise," says New Orleans attorney William Rittenberg, who represented State Rep. Arthur Morrell (D-New Orleans), one of two legislators who challenged the law. The state, he notes, enacted the law after the U. S. Supreme Court struck down a Georgia law requiring drug tests for all candidates for state office.

Court Case Article - No Piss Test For Politicians - Drug Testing