Pubdate: Mon, 08 Dec 2008
Source: Daily Comet (LA)
Copyright: 2008 Comet-Press Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://dailycomet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1505
Note: Letter writers must provide phone number for verification
Author: Ben Lundin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)

ELECTED LAFOURCHE OFFICIALS COULD BE SUBJECT TO DRUG TESTING

THIBODAUX -- Appointed and elected Lafourche Parish  officials may
soon face mandatory random drug tests.

The proposal, which the Parish Council is scheduled to  consider
Tuesday, is the brainchild of Councilman  Lindel Toups. He introduced
it after proposing random  drug tests of public-school employees,
which prompted  some local residents to question why the same tests
aren't required of government representatives.

Toups said he believes his peers will support his  newest
measure.

"I don't see why not. I don't see why somebody could  vote against
it," he said. "We drug test employees, so  why not drug test the
council and administration?"

The measure mandates that anyone in the parish  administration or on
the council be drug tested at  random. It does not state how often the
drug testing  should occur.

Council members are set to decide the matter during  their regular
meeting, which starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday  in the former Walmart, 4876
La. 1 in Mathews.

Toups' other drug-test proposal, which originated as a  formal request
that state lawmakers pass a law  requiring drug tests of public-school
employees and  later evolved into mass drug tests for anyone relying
on government dollars, will not go before the council  Tuesday.

Toups said he will wait until he knows all nine council  members will
be attendance.

The first incarnation of that measure -- which was  directed at
public-school teachers -- was  overwhelmingly shot down a month ago,
with Toups  casting the lone vote in favor.

He returned two weeks later with a substitute measure  to drug test
anyone relying on government dollars.  Council members thought that
one passed, but they  learned later it failed because of a
technicality.

A majority of the council members present voted for the  measure,
resulting in a 4-3 vote. However, District  Attorney Cam Morvant later
said the parish's bylaws  require a majority vote from the nine-member
council,  not a majority of those present.

Toups has promised to bring the measure back to the  council when all
nine members are present. However,  Councilman Phillip Gouaux will be
in Kansas, and  Councilman Daniel Lorraine will be unable to attend
while he continues to recover from triple-bypass heart  surgery.

Toups said he expects to present the measure to the  council during
the first meeting in January. The  council's second December meeting,
originally scheduled  for Dec. 23, has been canceled.
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MAP posted-by: Steve Heath