URINE DRUG-TEST BILL GETS HOUSE RAZING

There's a lot of freshmen members of the General Assembly this year, and it
has been a custom for a number of years that when freshman lawmakers present
their first piece of legislation before the House, other members often
initiate them into the legislative process with silly questions.

Initial votes to reject the bill, usually are changed to yes votes before
the ballots are counted.

According to one news account, such was the case last week when Rep. Jay
Martin, D-North Little Rock introduced a bill which would prohibit the sale
or use of urine to falsify a drug-or alcohol-screening test. This brought
about snickers.

HB 1116 prescribes a penalty of up to 90 days in jail, a $500 fine or both
for anyone convicted of the Class B misdemeanor.

Martin described the bill as necessary to thwart a growing trend of buying
and selling drug-free urine, often over the Internet, to cover up evidence
of substance abuse when tested by potential employers.

Rep. Martin said it's important that test results reflect drug use by the
person being screened, because many businesses rely on the information to
evaluate job applicants or employees.

Along with the usual sounds from legislators' lips imitating a crashing
aircraft filled the House chamber as Martin approached the podium to explain
the bill.

When the time came to vote, the electronic vote board showed a plethora of
P's - which usually signifies "Present."

Ultimately, the bill was approved 92-1, with Rep. Jim Lendall, D- Mabelvale
casting the negative vote. The bill is now in the Senate.

Lendall questioned how the bill could be enforced without unreasonably
infringing on employees' privacy.

"This takes away some of the dignity of the job when you have someone
sitting there watching you pee into a cup," Lendall said. "Seriously, it
just seems demeaning to working people to have some (other) employee
watching them pee."

Among other questions asked: Rep. Kevin Penix, R-Fort Smith, wanted to know
what the "shelf life" of a urine sample is; and Rep. Tommy Dickinson,
D-Newport, read a prepared e-mail from a constituent questioning whether
HB1116 would drive some Arkansans out of business.

"This man said, 'I wonder if you realize the fiscal impact the urine bill
will have on our state. I have very little competition and my markup is
sky-high. When I'm low on merchandise, I restock my warehouse by chugging
three or four beers and letting nature take its course,' " Dickinson said.

Amid laughter, Martin responded: "This is a bill that will help our
children, too."

It will be interesting to see results of the vote in the Senate and the
debate materialize.