Texas Supreme Court Halts Guaranteed Income Program

The Texas Supreme Court has halted Harris County’s program that aimed to provide $500 cash for 18 months to 1,928 residents just a day before the first payments were scheduled to be issued.

The court’s decision on Tuesday has temporarily suspended the program in Texas’ most populous county until further review. Despite two prior rulings in favor of Uplift Harris, which is intended to help lift people out of poverty.

This ruling is seen as a win for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who argued that Uplift Harris violates the Texas Constitution, despite losing in two previous court cases.

Paxton stated that the Texas Constitution prohibits any entity from providing public money or benefits to individuals.

“Harris County’s guaranteed income program clearly goes against the Texas Constitution,” Paxton said. “Officials in Harris County cannot continue to misuse their authority and public funds for political purposes, and we will continue to challenge them every step of the way.”

The attorney general also argued that the selective nature of the program, targeting specific low-income recipients, goes against universal entitlement principles in the constitution.

The Uplift Harris program, funded by allocations from the American Rescue Plan, is similar to guaranteed income experiments in other Texas cities like Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio. Supporters reference research showing positive outcomes such as improved housing and food security and sustained employment for beneficiaries.

Harris County officials have strongly supported the program, presenting it as a moral obligation and a practical solution to address socioeconomic inequalities. They have criticized Paxton’s legal challenges as unwarranted interference in local matters.

Christian Menefee, the Harris County attorney, expressed disappointment but not surprise at the Texas Supreme Court’s ruling.

Menefee stated, “It’s unfortunate that the court has taken this extreme step to block a program that would assist residents in Harris County, even if temporarily. I will continue to fight to defend this program, and I am confident that Uplift Harris is legally and morally sound.”

The program received over 82,000 applications, while more than 750,000 people in Harris County live in poverty.

“This baseless lawsuit was an attack on Harris County families struggling to make ends meet by state extremists and a highly partisan Texas Supreme Court,” Rodney Ellis, Harris County commissioner, remarked. “Now, 1,900 working families who were anticipating life-changing support have been deprived of essential assistance.”