Bills proposing mandatory universal income initiatives unable to pass through the Texas legislative body.
Texas Defies Republicans, Keeps No-Strings Attached Cash Programs
In a surprising turn of events, bills targeting guaranteed income programs - where governments give people cash with no strings attached - have spectacularly flopped in Texas.
This legislative session, Republican lawmakers chucked four bills at the problem, asserting public money shouldn't be tossed at private citizens without a goal in sight.
But alas! None managed to gain the traction required to become law. Even Senate Bill 201, the top contender, bit the dust.
The man behind Senate Bill 201, Senator Paul Bettencourt (that Houston dude), remained as tight-lipped as a clam, while Rep. Ellen Troxclair's team politely declined an interview.
Why the sudden retreat from these bills, you ask?
Well, it seems there was just no stomach for them among the lawmakers. With supporters of guaranteed income programs heralding them as crucial safety nets, especially during these inflationary times, it appears they won the hearts of many.
Austin has been dishing out guaranteed income since the year 2,022. As of last year, they pledged to give 97 citizens a cool $1,000 a month for an entire year. The grand finale was in May.
However, not everyone is enamored with these programs. Republican-led states, like Iowa, Arkansas, and Idaho, have done away with them.
In fact, before the legislative session commenced, the ever-skeptical Bettencourt invited Attorney General Ken Paxton to dig into whether these programs violate the state constitution.
Lo and behold, shortly afterward, Paxton sued Harris County's guaranteed income program! The Texas Supreme Court responded by freezing the program, prompting cries of, "No free money in Texas!"
The question on everyone's lips, though, is whether Austin will dish out more dough for its guaranteed income program. Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes, an advocate for these programs, declared on Monday her intention to keep it going. The city usually finalizes the budget in August.
Needless to say, the future of guaranteed income in Texas remains uncertain, but one thing's for sure - it's become a battleground for debates on economic support and social welfare!
Sources:- KUT 90.5- The Economic Security Project- Report on the Impacts of Guaranteed Income on Employment- Study on the Expenditure of Guaranteed Income Recipients
- Despite repeated attempts by Texas lawmakers to curb no-strings attached cash programs, known as guaranteed income, all proposed bills during the legislative session failed to become law, with even Senate Bill 201 meeting its demise.
- As the debate on guaranteed income programs unfolds in Texas, there's growing interest in policy-and-legislation as it pertains to the economic support and social welfare of citizens. The future of these programs remains uncertain, as supporters argue they serve as crucial safety nets, particularly during inflationary times, while opponents claim they violate state constitution.
- In the midst of this political tension, General-news outlets report that Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes, an advocate for guaranteed income programs, has expressed her intention to continue funding them, while the Texas Supreme Court recently froze Harris County's guaranteed income program due to concerns about its legality.
