Welfare-recipient drug screening backed

OLYMPIA — Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Mike McGavick on Wednesday proposed mandatory substance-abuse screening for welfare recipients with children.

In a speech to the Pasco-Kennewick Rotary, the former Senate aide and Safeco Insurance CEO proposed a "three-strike" requirement that could lead to mandatory drug-abuse testing and treatment, reduction of direct cash benefits and, in some cases, loss of parental rights.

"Children from the homes of families on welfare have it hard already," he said in a prepared text released by his campaign. "When their parent or guardian is also an abuser of illegal drugs, success for those children is a lot harder. Right now, Washington, D.C., Republicans and Democrats, turn a blind eye to this problem.

"This proposal says, 'We're going to test and then mandate treatment to help the adults kick their addiction for the sake of the children. Then, we're going to test again to make sure treatment is working.' "

McGavick's plan says that if recipients refuse treatment, cash benefits would be redirected from the parents to a third party. Continued refusal to accept treatment or repeated drug-test failures would result in removal of children from the home.

Spokesmen for the state welfare program and the campaign of incumbent Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell did not immediately return after-hours telephone calls for comment.