Florida’s Tea Party governor Rick Scott is going to do his part to advance “limited government” by making it mandatory for welfare recipients to be drug tested.

The right wing has been pushing for this disgusting law all over America for years; it looks like Florida will be the first state to actually do it.

Scott’s bill will take it one step further, too. Just to really stick it to the poor, Scott will require welfare recipients to pay for their own drug tests.

“It’s fair to taxpayers,” Scott said after the vote. “They’re paying the bill. And they’re often drug screened for their jobs. On top of that, it’s good for families. It creates another reason why people will think again before using drugs, which as you know is just a significant issue in our state.”

Scott already signed an executive order requiring random drug testing of state workers.

HB 353 requires all adult recipients of federal cash benefits — the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program — to pay for the tests, which are typically around $35. The screen would be for all controlled substances and applicants would have to disclose any legal prescriptions.

Recipients who test positive for drugs would lose their benefits for a year. If they fail a second time, they lose the benefits for three years. Parents who test positive must designate another adult to receive benefits on behalf of their children.