Rick Scott: Drug Testing Order about Government Accountability

Gov. Rick Scott continued Friday to defend his 2011 executive order to require random drug testing of state employees that was declared unconstitutional by a federal judge.

If you talk to the typical person that has a job in our state outside government, theyve been drug screened, Scott said during a morning interview of WCOA 1370 AM in Pensacola.

Ive talked to a young lady, shes 25 or 26, shes probably been drug screened 10 times already in a variety of jobs shes had through high school and college.So, thats what the private sector is doing and they know the reason they are doing it; to make sure the workers there are safe, they come ready to work.

Scott added that the order was part of his campaign to bring accountability to government.

I ran on a campaign of accountability in government. I believe in accountability in government.Thats what I ran on. Thats what I got elected to do. You cant expect me to get elected and then say No, I dont believe that anymore.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro declared Scotts executive order from March 2011 a violation of employees Fourth Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution.

An announcement from the governors office on Thursday declared the decision would be appealed.