The concept of universal basic income — inspired by pandemic stimulus checks issued under both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump — is gaining traction across the states. However, opinions on its potential to reshape finances are not so universal.
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Minnesota lawmakers are proposing a $100 million pilot program to establish universal basic income, aiming to support state residents with monthly payments.
The proposed program would grant $500 monthly for 18 months to individuals and families earning at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. Critics, including Minnesota Rep. Ben Davis, R, argue such initiatives might enable negative behaviors without proper safeguards against misuse.
“My philosophy has always been get government out of the way, give people the opportunity to work hard with their own hands and to provide for themselves,” Davis said.
Davis said he believes the bill is “opening the door for [Minnesota] being a socialist state.”
HF2666 is currently under review in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton seeks to halt “Uplift Harris,” a new guaranteed income pilot program in Harris County set to launch in May.
The program would provide about 1,900 households with $500 monthly payments for 18 months.
Paxton’s lawsuit in Houston labels the program as unconstitutional and an “illegitimate government overreach.”
“There is no such thing as free money — especially in Texas,” Paxton said in the lawsuit. “The Texas Constitution expressly prohibits giving away public funds to benefit individuals — a common-sense protection to prevent cronyism and ensure that public funds benefit all citizens.”
Harris County is joining San Antonio, Austin and El Paso County as the latest Texas region experimenting with basic income pilot programs, targeting support toward qualifying low-income families.
Stanford University’s Basic Income Lab reports more than 150 basic income trials in the U.S., with most starting in the last five years.
