Drug testing delayed for Mississippi welfare recipients

A new Mississippi law requiring drug testing for some welfare recipients will not take effect on July 1 as scheduled after state officials agreed to allow civil liberties groups to voice concerns at an upcoming public hearing. The implementation date will be determined after the July 22 hearing, according to a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The delay, announced on Thursday, was requested by the national and state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Mississippi Center for Justice. “It is really murky,” said Charles Irvin, legal director for the ACLU of Mississippi.