Harris County Sued for Socialist 'Guaranteed Income' Scheme

AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed for emergency relief with the Supreme Court of Texas (“SCOTX”) to block Harris County’s “guaranteed income” program, citing violations of state law. The Office of the Attorney General (“OAG”) previously sought a temporary injunction against the program, which was denied by a lower court. Following this denial, the OAG promptly filed an emergency motion with SCOTX. Texas is urging the Supreme Court to intervene and halt Harris County’s payments while the legal proceedings unfold.

Attorney General Paxton initiated a lawsuit against Harris County earlier this month, challenging the constitutionality of its “guaranteed income” welfare scheme. Paxton argues that the program violates the Texas Constitution, which prohibits political entities from granting public money or valuable items to individuals. The Harris County initiative would provide $500 cash payments to 1,928 residents over 18 months without conditions. Notably, recipients are not required to be U.S. citizens, with various classifications of noncitizens eligible for the payments.

“Harris County’s guaranteed income scheme plainly violates the Texas Constitution,” Paxton asserted. “Harris County officials cannot continue to abuse their power and the people’s money to score political points, and we will fight every step of the way to hold them accountable.”