Arizona Republicans call basic income payments 'unearned,' introduce a bill to ban them [View all]

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Source: Business Insider

Feb 18, 2024, 2:34 PM EST


Republican lawmakers in Arizona are joining a chorus of conservatives across the country trying to ban basic income programs, which offer residents no-strings-attached payments.

Arizona state lawmakers introduced a bill that would ban any municipality or county from making payments to a person as part of a guaranteed basic income program. The law, House Bill 2375, describes a "guaranteed income program" as any program where someone receives payments that are "unearned" and can be used for any reason.

Numerous cities across the country are experimenting with guaranteed basic income programs either through local initiatives or nonprofits. The programs typically provide monthly payments of $500 to $1,000 to low-income residents or families to spend however they want. In Denver, for example, a basic income program that gives some people up to $1,000 a month was recently extended after participants reported increased housing security.

Basic income programs have grown in popularity in recent years, spurred by a housing affordability crisis, a rising number of homeless people, fallout from the pandemic, and worries that AI will replace many jobs.

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/phoenix-arizona-guaranteed-basic-income-program-ubi-republican-ban-2024-2