At a hearing in Mississippi on Tuesday morning, civil rights groups made a final effort to shield kids from a new law restricting access to welfare benefits.
Under the law, HB 49, potential recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families payments will be required to fill out new questionnaires, after which some will be required to pass drug tests in order to get benefits. It was scheduled to take effect on July 1 but was delayed when the state granted a request from the American Civil Liberties Union and civil rights groups to hold a public hearing on its implementation.
