California Approves First State-Funded Guaranteed Income Plan
The California State Capitol building in Sacramento, California.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Sacramento, Calif. (AP) -- California lawmakers on Thursday approved the first state-funded guaranteed income plan in the U.S., $35 million for monthly cash payments to qualifying pregnant people and young adults who recently left foster care with no restrictions on how they spend it.
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.