Rep explains why he voted no on drug test bill

toeaina-faufano

Representative Toeaina Faufano Autele who cast the sole nay vote on the bill calling for drug testing of the ASG workforce views the law as discriminatory.

The drug test bill was approved in final reading by the House last week by a 15-1 vote.

According to Toeaina, if the purpose of the law is to protect the general public from the compromising influence of alcohol and drugs, then the law should apply to all employees, public and private.

In his view the bill as it is, threatens the privacy right of all employees unnecessarily, even those in non safety-sensitive jobs, by requiring pre-employment drug testing.

He says the law is unnecessarily too broad by implicitly including all employees, even those in non safety-sensitive jobs.

Another concern of Toeaina is that the bill doesn’t identify a source of funding.

He says, ” Consequently we will end up with a law that cannot be enforced because of lack of expert personnel to do the testing.”

Because the House of Representatives has amended the bill by reinserting elected officials in the list of those who would be subjected to drug testing, the Senate had to review the amendment.

Senators on Friday approved the change that the House made.  This allows the bill to be enrolled and sent to the governor for his decision.