Protect Welfare Assistance From Abuse

The purpose of this petition is to provide the state of Oklahoma the means to justify the distribution of taxpayer-funded welfare assistance to citizens of the state that require that assistance, and to prevent the abuse of that system.

Many people in Oklahoma work in jobs that require them to voluntarily submit to drug testing and criminal background checks, both as an eligibility requirement to obtain that employment and as a condition of continued employment.

The welfare system in place in Oklahoma was designed as a means to provide citizens who either have fallen on hard times and need assistance getting back on their own, and especially to provide for those citizens who are unable to provide for themselves. To prevent abuse of this system, there should be measures in place to ensure that the money provided by the state is being distributed appropriately. This is not an infringement on rights or freedoms - to voluntarily apply for assistance should require a will to voluntarily submit to verification for assistance, just as it is a voluntary act to apply for employment.

Legislation should be written and enacted that sets standards for and regulates the eligibility of state assistance applicants. One such measure would be the random drug testing of applicants, as well as thorough screening and evalution of criminal records. These measures, though costly, may in the long term in fact save the state of Oklahoma and its taxpayers considerable money by identifying and preventing abuse and misuse of those systems.

Understand that this petition and the legislation it proposes is designed to ensure that the assistance provided by the state is distributed to citizens that welfare system was designed for.

Upon the collection of 1,000 or more signatures, this petition will be presented to state legislators for support of the creation of a bill that will regulate the eligibility of state assistance.