Harris County, Texas politicians on Thursday approved changes to a guaranteed income program after it was challenged and rejected by the state Supreme Court.
“Hundreds of families in Harris County were counting on monthly payments of $500 in April to lift them out of poverty and were left in the lurch because of the political stance of Texas leaders,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a press release.
Due to the legal challenges In the dispute with the Uplift Harris guaranteed income program, the Harris County District Court imposed limits on the spending of program participants.
Under the new version of Uplift Harris, about 1,600 families enrolled in the program in March will receive a debit card with a $500 monthly balance limited to basic needs such as grocery shopping and medications. Participants are expected to receive the debit cards in four months.
“While implementing this new program instead of a guaranteed income program is not ideal, it is the best way to keep our promise to these families,” Hidalgo said.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was “abandoned by the political posturing of Texas leaders” after the Uplift Harris guaranteed income program was challenged by the state and overturned by the Texas Supreme Court.
Uplift Harris passed last year by a vote of 4-1. The Harris County Commissioners Court is an elected body of four policymakers and the county judge that meets biweekly to represent Harris County, Texas. The county judge serves as the county’s chief executive officer.
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The program was funded with $20.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Houston, the largest city in Texas, makes up most of Harris County’s population.
Commissioner Tom Ramsey of the Third District told Fox News Digital that “that’s not the right way to go about it.”
“While all of us here at the court want to help the residents of Harris County, this is not the right way to do it. This court has a history of trying to rewrite boundaries, rules and laws, and this is just another example,” Ramsey said.
He added: “This program will benefit a select few people, and the same amount of money, if used properly, could help many more people.”
The Uplift Harris guaranteed income program was funded with $20.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Houston, the largest city in Texas, makes up most of Harris County’s population. (iStock)
Ramsey continued, “Harris County has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. You can invest $20 million in the most underserved neighborhood in Harris County and transform it for 50 years. Instead, we’re spending $20 million to give fewer than 2,000 families $500 a month for 18 months.”
He continued: “We are told that spending options can be somewhat limited with a debit card, but why try something that you have already been told is not legal? That is bad policy.”
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Last week, commissioners sought to revive Uplift Harris after it was rejected by the Texas Supreme Court. Ramsey told Fox News Digital that his colleagues were trying to “circumvent” the legal challenge to the program.
Harris County officials met to discuss reviving the program and limiting funds to approved spending categories, a move Hidalgo said was intended to prevent any legal challenges to the program.
The attempt came after the Texas Supreme Court issued a judgment in June, Harris County banned Uplift Harris from operating.
The court expressed “serious doubts” about the constitutionality of the program.
Due to the court order, Uplift Harris was never able to pay out the funds. The company would have paid selected participants $500 a month for 18 months. The program started on January 12 and included over 1,900 applicants from a pool of more than 80,000 applications.
Hidalgo’s office said the number of applications shows “the tremendous need for anti-poverty programs in Harris County,” citing data showing one in six Harris County residents live in poverty and two in five say they cannot afford a $400 emergency payment.
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A Harris County attorney defended a guaranteed income program that was the target of a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The Texas Supreme Court’s ruling on Uplift Harris came after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit arguing that Uplift Harris was “manifestly unconstitutional.” Paxton’s lawsuit was prompted by Republican Senator Paul Bettencourt, who had asked the attorney general to review the constitutional merits of Uplift Harris soon after the program’s launch.
Harris County is one of many municipalities and legislatures pushing guaranteed income programs. The programs have become a trend across the U.S., with some facing legal and financial challenges.
Some studies have shown that pilots achieved positive results, Fox News Digital has already reported this.
