Georgia’s Rep. Scott Holcomb proposes Drug-testing Lawmakers before Welfare Recipients

By: Charles S. Mombo
@burnedbrass

“This bill is really very simple. If the General Assembly is going to pass laws requiring struggling, jobless Georgians to pay for drug tests as a precondition to receiving state benefits, then members of the General Assembly should lead by example and take the tests first," Holcomb said.

I do not know State Representative Scott Holcomb (D-Atlanta), but I like what he stands for – a servant of the people.

I first heard about him when he appeared on CNN few days ago. As I heard Holcomb speak, the thought that came to mind is the idiom, “‘what’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” except it is not a male and female related issue but an attack of the rich against the poor while using partisan politics.

Holcomb introduced legislation that requires members of the General Assembly to pass a drug test before taking office. The Democratic lawmaker from Atlanta says his bill would require all state legislators to submit to drug tests.

Holcomb’s House Bill 677 comes after and mimics a Republicans bill that would require the state to administer drug tests to welfare parents. According to Holcomb, “This bill is really very simple. If the General Assembly is going to pass laws requiring struggling, jobless Georgians to pay for drug tests as a precondition to receiving state benefits, then members of the General Assembly should lead by example and take the tests first," Holcomb said.

"I would prefer the General Assembly focus on the issues that are most important to Georgians. But, if the General Assembly is going to make drug testing for state benefits a major issue when we return in January, then legislators need to be the first in line," said Holcomb.

One major problem, even if Holcomb’s bill passes, is a legal obstacle course that the lawmakers have put in place. Georgia’s hypocritical lawmakers have passed a law that exempts them from the requirements of the state's open records laws. That is, if any of the lawmakers get tested positive for drug, that failure would never become public knowledge.

Holcomb who represents the citizens of District 82 in northeast DeKalb County was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves on the Public Safety and Homeland Security, Defense and Veterans Affairs, and Children and Youth committees.