Blue states elect Democrats who supported permanent cash handout policy as part of mayors coalition
"I hope the newly elected Democratic House and Senate will continue to prioritize affordability and make guaranteed income a permanent policy for Americans." MAYORS WANT TO KEEP HANDING OUT FREE CASH AFTER FEDERAL FUNDS DRIED UP Two current MGI members secured seats in the U.S.
Key points
- "Previous polling showed a majority of voters support direct, unconditional cash assistance, and now we've seen several champions who led guaranteed income programs at the local level ascend to higher office in the most recent elections," Tubbs said.
- MGI has grown into a coalition of more than 150 mayors, promoting pilots that offer eligible participants payments of as much as $1,000 per month with no spending restrictions.
- GEORGIA GOVERNOR'S MANSION PROJECTED TO FLIP BLUE FOR FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 30 YEARS "Support for guaranteed income has been steadily growing since we launched the first pilot in 2019," MGI President Michael D.
Five former members of the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) coalition — along with officials from partner organizations — won election to higher office, while voters approved multiple direct-cash ballot measures nationwide.
Additional details
- To sustain the program after federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expired, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved $7.5 million for guaranteed income as part of its fiscal year 2026 budget.
- He spoke at the 2024 GI [Guaranteed Income] Now conference and contributed to our 2025 report ‘The Resilience Factor: Cash as a Tool Toward Better Health for Young Families.’ In one of the toughest Senate races in the country, his campaign centered on a single tagline: 'Money out of politics.
- MGI noted that more than 60 bills involving cash-based policies similar to guaranteed income have been introduced across 15 states.
- However, with federal pandemic relief dollars drying up, questions remain about whether local governments can afford to make these programs permanent through local taxes.
- Cook County, Illinois, previously made headlines for establishing what officials described as the nation's first permanent guaranteed income program at the county level.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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