Arizona’s House Passes Bill to Halt Guaranteed-Basic-Income Programs
Arizona House Republicans Unanimously Back Bill to Halt Guaranteed-Basic-Income Programs
According to Fox News Channel, Arizona’s House of Representatives recently voted on House Bill 2375, that wants to stop guaranteed-basic-income programs in the state. All the Republicans supported it but none of the Democrats did. The next step is for the bill to go to the state senate which has both Republicans and Democrats. The bill says Arizona cities can’t have any rules that give money to people as part of a guaranteed income program. Such programs provide cash without conditions and this bill wants to stop them.
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Phoenix’s $12 Million Guaranteed-Income Initiative Sparks Ideological Clash in Arizona Legislature
The reason behind this bill is related to a program in Phoenix in 2022. It used $12 million of COVID relief funds to give 1,000 low-income families $1,000 every month for a year. To qualify, families needed to earn less than 80% of the city’s average income. The bill’s sponsor Republican Rep. Lupe Diaz, compared this kind of program to socialism. However, some cities like Austin, Texas have embraced guaranteed income programs. In 2022, Austin became the first major Texas city to use taxpayer money for such programs showing success in helping with housing issues. The debate continues on whether these programs truly help or not.
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