The Democrat-led California state legislature on Thursday approved the first ever state-funded guaranteed income plan.
The state lawmakers approved of $35 million for monthly cash payments for pregnant women and “young adults who recently left foster care.”
There are no restrictions on how the recipients of the taxpayer-funded cash spend it.
The Associated Press reported:
The votes — 36-0 in the Senate and 64-0 in the Assembly — showed bipartisan support for an idea that is gaining momentum across the country. Dozens of local programs have sprung up in recent years, including some that have been privately funded, making it easier for elected officials to sell the public on the idea.
Local governments and organizations will apply for the money and run their programs. The state Department of Social Services will decide who gets funding. California lawmakers left it up to local officials to determine the size of the monthly payments, which generally range from $500 to $1,000 in existing programs around the country.
“Now there is momentum, things are moving quickly,” said Michael Tubbs, an advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was a trailblazer when he instituted a guaranteed income program as mayor of Stockton. “The next stop is the federal government.”
