Senate attacks welfare

Backers, however, said they are trying to discourage people from gambling with welfare money and trying to protect state funding for the truly needy.

"Now is the time, when times are good and work is plentiful, to encourage people to work," said Sen. Joel Gougeon (R-Bay City), chair of the Senate Families, Mental Health and Human Services Committee.

"Our focus is on empowering, not punishing, welfare recipients while protecting taxpayers," Senate Majority Leader Dick Posthumus (R-Alto) said of the Republican package.

But some Democrats were irate.

"Isn't it true you just want to intimidate people?" Sen. Virgil Smith (D-Detroit) demanded of a Family Independence Agency official who defended the tougher rules.

The legislation is expected to have a tougher time in the Democrat-controlled state House, and Smith said Republicans are using it for election-year political gain.

But, Gougeon said, "I don't think it's too much to ask to make sure the people who are truly in need of the money get it."

The items passed were:

- Passed, 30-5, and sent the House a bill which would require an adult to work 80 hours a month, perform community service or participate in a work program to receive food stamps.

The requirements are similar to state policy now in effect, but would be written into law for the first time.

- Passed, 28-7, and sent the House a bill requiring welfare recipients to return up to half of any gambling winnings to the state as repayment for their assistance.

- Passed, 32-3, and sent the House a bill to prohibit a person who received cash instead of food stamps from using it for gambling.

Shortly thereafter, Gougeon's committee approved on 3-2 votes bills to:

- Require finger-printing of anyone applying for cash assistance.

- Permit the FIA to require substance abuse testing as a condition of receiving assistance.

"For us, it's an accountability issue," Gougeon said. "We are dealing with public dollars."

But Wendy Wagenheim, legislative affairs director of the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said: "It is already dehumanizing and degrading to be on welfare.

"Drug-testing plans are designed to sound tough but they are often counter-productive," she said.

The welfare and gambling bills are Senate Bills 943, 947-49; fingerprinting and drug-testing bills are Senate Bills 944 and 957.

03-13-98