California Lawmakers Approve Nation’s 1st Basic Income Plan
If approved by Gov. Newsom, California will be the first state to send unconditional monthly checks to residents. The $35-million plan will target former foster care children and pregnant Californians.
The California Capitol building.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) California will send monthly checks to adults exiting the state’s foster care system under a first-of-its-kind guaranteed income plan approved Thursday by lawmakers.
The taxpayer-funded program will allow qualifying pregnant residents and those aging out of the foster care system regardless of how much time they spent in the system to spend the cash assistance freely. Monthly payments could range up to $1,000 and the multi-year pilot program carries a $35 million price tag.
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(NEWARK, N.J.) The most populous city in New Jersey has launched a pilot program to give guaranteed income to some residents, as the pandemic has exacerbated the racial wealth gap and exposed the economic vulnerabilities millions of Americans face.
Experts say success in Newark, New Jersey, a neighbor of New York City, could set a precedent for other communities around the country to follow suit as the nation seeks to equitably recover from the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19.
“We must emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with new purpose, new vision and new ideas to transform our community and truly improve the quality of life of our residents,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democrat, said in a statement earlier this week. “Here, we have an opportunity to directly empower and strengthen hundreds of lives immediately, while also demonstrating how to do so to the entire nation.”
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The pilot program aims to aid the city s vulnerable and housing insecure.
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The most populous city in New Jersey has launched a pilot program to give guaranteed income to some residents, as the pandemic has exacerbated the racial wealth gap and exposed the economic vulnerabilities millions of Americans face.
Experts say success in Newark, New Jersey, a neighbor of New York City, could set a precedent for other communities around the country to follow suit as the nation seeks to equitably recover from the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19.
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By Sarah Ravani and Todd Trumbull | April 21, 2021 | Updated: April 21, 2021 10:44 AM
Guaranteed income programs have been around for centuries with a mention in Thomas More’s 1516 book “Utopia.” While the various welfare programs sprung up in the 1930s, a backlash was brewing by time the War on Poverty was launched during the 1960’s.
Critics argued that increasing welfare encouraged people to reject work. In 1996, President Bill Clinton passed legislation that added work requirements for aid and capped how much aid a person could get. Politicians today say the narrative surrounding welfare must change.
Support has recently grown for guaranteed income giving cash payments to those who need it without any strings attached. Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang introduced a proposal during his candidacy to give $1,000 a month to every U.S. citizen over the age of 18. Now, cities throughout the country are creating their own guaranteed