State Sen. Paul Bettencourt despatched a letter on January 12 to the state lawyer basic asking him to concern an opinion on whether or not counties have the authority to enact assured earnings applications.
Assured primary earnings is just like common primary earnings besides it targets a specific group. Comparable applications to the one in Harris County are being adopted in cities all around the nation.
Bettencourt’s request got here the identical day this system — known as Uplift Harris — began taking functions. The Uplift Harris program plans to supply eligible households in Harris County, which incorporates Houston, $500 a month for as much as 18 months.
County officers used greater than $20 million of federal COVID-19 reduction from the American Rescue Plan to fund the mission. This system acquired greater than 48,000 functions within the first three days, the Houston Chronicle reported.
In his letter to the lawyer basic, Bettencourt famous a piece of the Texas structure that claims the legislature can’t give any county energy to grant public cash for assistance from a person.
“They aren’t a Dwelling Rule metropolis,” Bettencourt advised Houston Public Media. “They can’t create new legislation themselves. And I do not see wherever since I have been in workplace that the state has granted them authority to have a program like Uplift Harris.”
Uplift Harris supplies assured primary earnings to households within the zip codes with the very best poverty charges in Harris County, in keeping with this system’s web site. Bettencourt requested Houston Public Media why solely these sure zip codes have been chosen and “who’s selecting the fortunate 1,900 winners versus everybody else that is technically a loser by definition?”
“What occurs when that cash runs out?” Bettencourt stated, in keeping with the outlet. “Who’s going to proceed this program? And extra importantly, there’s quite a lot of elementary, primary questions on this program.”
Harris County Legal professional Christian Menefee advised the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday that Bettencourt is attacking a program meant to assist folks in poverty and that his workplace will defend itself in opposition to the senator’s authorized claims.
“He is extra centered on political video games and weaponizing authorities establishments than making life higher for the folks of Harris County,” Menefee advised the outlet. “The county’s program is authorized and we are going to make that clear to the Legal professional Common.”
