Resurrected and Revised: Harris County’s Guaranteed Income Program
In a bid to comply with constitutional concerns raised by the Texas Supreme Court, Harris County in Texas has implemented revisions to its blocked guaranteed income program. The original initiative, known as “Uplift Harris,” was halted by the state Supreme Court due to concerns about its constitutionality. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton described the program as a “socialist experiment” lacking safeguards to ensure taxpayer funds were used in accordance with the Texas Constitution. However, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo recently announced a modified version of the program, seeking to address these concerns while providing financial assistance to low-income families.
The new program, approved by the Harris County Commissioners Court, will offer financial support to approximately 1,600 low-income families who were selected for the original “Uplift Harris” program. However, there are now added restrictions on how the funds can be used. Under the revised plan, families will receive prepaid debit cards loaded with $500 each month. Unlike the initial program, these cards will only be usable at specific vendors, such as grocery stores and pharmacies.
The original “Uplift Harris” program, which promised $500 monthly cash payments for 18 months to nearly 2,000 families, was temporarily blocked by the state Supreme Court pending appeal due to concerns about its alignment with the state constitution. The payments were to be funded by $20.5 million in federal pandemic relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. However, just as the first payments were about to be distributed, Paxton filed an emergency petition to halt the program, arguing that the “no-strings-attached” nature of the payments violated the Texas Constitution.
The Texas Supreme Court sided with Paxton, expressing concerns about the potential violation of the constitution and ultimately blocking the program. The court emphasized that allowing payments to proceed while the legal battle unfolded would not remedy the constitutional concerns. In response to the ruling, Harris County officials restructured the program, introducing the prepaid debit card system with limited vendor options.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo acknowledged that the new program was not the ideal guaranteed income initiative initially envisioned but stated that it was the best way to keep the promise to the selected families. She expressed cautious optimism while acknowledging the possibility of objections from the state. The response from Paxton’s office regarding the new version of the program is yet to be determined.
State Senator Paul Bettencourt, a Republican, expressed disappointment with Harris County’s decision to move forward with the revised program despite the Texas Supreme Court order. He referred to it as “the same old lottery socialism” in a post on X. Additionally, he forwarded a revised version of a universal basic income program, which he described as “version 2.0,” to Paxton’s office for legal review and potential action.
The goal of the original “Uplift Harris” program, as stated by Harris County officials, was to aid households in the county’s poorest ZIP codes, specifically those living 200 percent below the federal poverty line. This equates to an income of $15,060 for an individual and up to $31,200 for a family of four.
By implementing spending restrictions and modifying the program, Harris County aims to address constitutional concerns while providing financial assistance to low-income families. The revised initiative seeks to strike a balance between supporting those in need and ensuring taxpayer funds are utilized appropriately. As the program moves forward, its effectiveness and impact on the community will be closely monitored and evaluated.
