Oh joy. The Texas GOP are getting ready to waste everyone’s time and money:

Perry, Dewhurst advocate drug tests for welfare

Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst made a rare joint appearance on Tuesday to advocate drug tests for Texas residents seeking welfare or unemployment benefits.

A bill filed before the Texas Legislature reconvenes in January would mandate drug-testing for “high-risk” welfare applicants while banning them from using public funds to buy alcohol, tobacco and lottery tickets. But Perry and Dewhurst, who controls the flow of legislation through the state Senate, said a top priority should be expanding such rules to include Texans applying for unemployment assistance too.

“This will prevent tax dollars going into the pockets of drug-users and drug dealers,” Perry told a news conference at Austin Glass and Mirror, a small business that says it successfully drug-tests its employees.

Dewhurst said that under the current proposal, anyone failing drug tests would be barred from participating in welfare programs for one year — unless they enter a drug rehabilitation program paid for Medicaid, the government health care program for the poor.