Harris County Votes on Revised Income Program After Court Ruling

Harris County commissioners are deliberating the revival of a guaranteed basic income initiative, Uplift Harris 2.0, following a legal setback from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The program, aimed at providing monthly stipends to low-income families, was halted after Paxton requested the state to prohibit payments under the pilot program. In response, commissioners are set to vote on a revised plan that would re-enroll participants using a direct debit card while imposing spending limitations to mitigate potential legal challenges. County Judge Lina Hidalgo emphasized that the adjustments are necessary to ensure the program's compliance with legal standards, despite acknowledging that these changes may not align with the original intent of a guaranteed income initiative. Hidalgo expressed the urgency of reinstating support for nearly 2,000 low-income families who had already budgeted for the assistance. The program was initially funded by $20.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, with over 82,000 applicants vying for support before the application portal closed in February. During a recent meeting, commissioners reviewed two options proposed by the ARPA Steering Committee, with a majority favoring the direct debit card approach. Following a brief discussion, the item was forwarded to the steering committee for a vote, which subsequently approved the direct debit card option. Commissioners are expected to finalize their decision this week, with the implementation timeline projected to take approximately four months. An alternative proposal to expand the program to include all Harris County residents living below 200% of the poverty line was also considered but did not gain as much traction among the commissioners.